


Danganronpa: Innocent Guilt [Before the Tragedy]

by ChibaWritez



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Innocent Guilt |Before The Tragedy|
Genre: Assassination, Blackmail, Dark, Hope's Peak, Human Experimentation, Killing, Other, Reserve Course - Freeform, Secret Identity, Truth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-09-21 08:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9539798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibaWritez/pseuds/ChibaWritez
Summary: The destruction of the world, caused by a stir of despair. As the world eventually plunges down into the infectious despair, thus it was named; The Tragedy.But, what if, there's another story behind the start of it all?Hope's Peak Academy, known as the prestigious 'Academy of Hope'. Where the ones who possessed talents can be lead to a promising future if they attended that school.Hope's Peak is 'hope' itself in front of the people's eyes.But, is that truly 'hope'?What's the 'truth' behind this 'hope'?As Hope's Peak isn't really the perfect 'hope' after all.Be wary, as the 'truth' solemnly crept into a new birth between 'hope' and 'despair'.





	1. The Name of Guilt

**Hope.**

**Despair.**

 

Both of them are like the sides of coin.

Different sides, but on the same metal.

Without hope, there’s no despair. Without despair, there’s no hope.

Contrasting itself while the affiliation doesn’t differ from each other.

That’s how hope and despair goes.

   
  
  
A world dyed in black and white, right and wrong, peace and chaos,  
The unnamed utopia of despair.  
It has nothing to offer but destruction, malice, loss, rage, tremor, terrorism, sins, and most of all;  
The nothingness of despair.  
For the sake of despair, in the name of despair, all it is for despair.  
 

As long as despair continues to turn its wheel, another birth of hope shall emerged.

The final hope to defeat the ultimate despair.

 

But,

That’s just a story for another time.

 

The other factor of hope and despair; **guilt**.

It haunts everyone to redeem themselves, or to continue breaking and shattering what’s left of their sanity.

  
**Guilt** , one of the combination of our actions.

For hope.

Or against despair.

   
 

Hope’s Peak Academy, one of the most prestigious school in all Japan. Those who have heard; students that attended there will be granted a bright-stone future ahead of them.  The school is _Hope_ itself. For a promising future, for a better life, for starting of a new leaf.

That is Hope’s Peak.

The school has 2 conditions for a proper official attendance;

  1. You must be in high school.
  2. You already must professionally master in your own field of expertise, either occupation, business, extracurricular; of that is considered as talent of an Ultimate.



 

Hope’s Peak is divided into 2 sectors; main course and reserve course.

 

Reserve course is one of those who entered Hope’s Peak by paying the large amount of fees, and is nothing like the main course, it’s more like a simple ordinary class.

Nor the students has any talents whatsoever, it’s a secondary-class measurement of those whom are _talentless_ or having any special skills.

 

The steering committee is the one controlling the school’s reputation and bringing enrollments to those talents to come and join Hope’s Peak, overpowering the scouts and the headmaster themselves.

 

What a perfect haven for the so-called _Academy of Hope_ , isn’t it?

   
 

There is more than you meet the eye.

What is this _hope_?

Why the academy is considered _hope_ in people’s eyes?

What does _hope_ mean?

 

 

What is the **truth** of this story?

 

Are you prepared to face the **truth** with your own eyes?

 

 

 

Be aware by the **guilt** of your actions.

   
   
 

* * *

  
_Prologue_ ; **_end_**.

 

  
**_To be continued_**.


	2. Monochrome Anomaly

Black.

That’s all they can see. Bewildering darkness surrounds the entire room, with no gap of light.

With only tint of dripping liquid echoed throughout the room.

Stepping outside as the door creaks open, their presence disappeared like the gust of wind passing by nonchalantly.

It’s raining outside as the rumbling thunder strikes the grey skies apart. A glint of light pierces through the glass wall, the shadow of a man sitting still, unmoved.

 

Not long, numerous steps was heard and barged in with no hesitation. Police officers, dressed in black and blue, holding guns as they are preparing their next move.

“HALT!” one spoke, but there’s no one in there but the unknown man, sitting.

The head police approaches the man, with his eyes opened as if he was seeing a nightmare becoming a reality. His jaw was brimming with blood and foam, a glass shard was dug deep inside his throat with the flesh barely seen.

He was murdered.

* * *

 

  
Not long, the police sirens went array on the exact crime scene. As one of the chief demands a report on the case from the investigator who is in-charge of the crime.

  
“Explain the circumstances immediately.” As the deputy gave a serious glare.

“Yessir!” the investigator clears his throat, and immediately searched into the rummage of the victim’s profile. “The victim is Takao Miyanishi, the manager of this company, age 43. Killed via a stab on the throat with a glass shard, approximately 2 minutes of struggle and he slowly succumbing to his wounds, sir.”

Looking unamused, he asks. “Is that all? Were there any suspects around the time of murder?”

Shaking his head, with no clues in store. “Unfortunately, no sir. The culprit must’ve already escaped long before we arrive.”

  
The chief placed over his hand over his mouth, thinking. “Then how did the culprit murder the victim that fast? It’s like a work of a professional…” as the problem of the capabilities exceeded the deed of a simple murdered. As if, they were already used to it by long-life experience.

  
“I…don’t know that too. But, murders like these always keeps happening. Isn’t it strange, sir?” the investigator succumbs into a large-pit of compiled riddles.

  
  
One of the sentence rings a bell in the chief’s keen mind. “Wait- _always keeps happening_? For how long?” as he spoke, the officer of the police department called both of them.

  
Running throughout the pouring rain, carrying something from under within his coat. “Sir! We’ve found another proof in the scene of the crime!” taking it out, an envelope encased with splattered blood.

  
“What’s inside?” the chief asks, as the investigator took the envelope and opened it for discovery. The paper slipped out of the bloodied envelope and proceeded to examine it.

 

  
  
A letter of blackmail by the departed Takao Miyanishi.

 

  
Raising his eyebrows, the chief proclaims, “The murder…it’s for revenge against Miyanishi?” he thought.

  
“T-That’s not all, sir! There’s the other proofs of his blackmail letters!” the officer spoke. “Last year, month, weeks, days…even yesterday, sir!” adding more and more turbulence of the victim’s bio. “And…the last one, it’s inside this note, sir…” taking out the note from his pocket, he instantly gave it to the investigator.

  
  
Reading it along the chief, it says;

‘ **This murder was requested via Revenge Site. Thank you for your patronage.**

  * **Silent Killer Rei**.’



 

  
  
  
  
The investigator gritted his teeth, as it is a humiliation of defeat by a mere murderer. “Damn it…so they’re onto it again…!” which points out the final clue of this case. A nail to its coffin.

  
“The Silent Killer…Rei.” The chief spoke out. “I see, they’re the one responsible for all the murders that recently happened, am I correct?” with the nod of the humiliated investigator.

  
“A despicable serial killer who was given a jeopardy by the start of their first kill, undergo as a web-assassin, receiving murder requests via Revenge Site to slaughter who the client wishes to put revenge on…” the police officer explains it, as it was really a non-fiction from a murder-mystery.

  
The chief asks once more, “They did that all just for free?” but refuted by the officer.

  
“No, they made a deal with the client.” And he began to explain once more. “An equivalent exchange, whether it be top-secret information, cash, items or even insurances, anything. As long as the deed is set, they _will_ have to keep their deal.”

  
He continues. “…if they betrayed the absolute deal…they’ll be…” he pauses, not having the guts to continue the explanation.

 

The chief nodded slowly. “…I see. Then we have to prepare the arrest, as soon as we find out where they’re hiding.”

The investigator muttered with discourage. “That…won’t be easy, sir.” And the gloomy explanation continues. “They’re invincible, as long as the government gave them the free-access of murders, they can’t be arrested as long as the government pulled away their rights to freely murder.”

A click of the tongue, the chief growled in annoyance. “You can’t be joking…don’t tell me that they, in fact, did target the government before?”

Both investigator and the officer nodded. “Unfortunately, they did pull out a trump card on them, so yes.”

 

“…………………….”

 

 

Silence aside, the rain slowly lifts up. Their invulnerability couldn’t even match against the serial killer’s rights. The sight of irritation all caused by humiliation of the law which can’t even proceeded to bring justice.

 

The corrupted law is already tainted by the grasp of a silent killer.

   
 

* * *

  
  
  
Meanwhile, in a 3LDK apartment…

  
A ticking of the keyboard lulled around a slightly dim room. The brightness of the screen illuminates the dim room with a small light.

  
There, a conversation was held. Beyond the screen, a blog colored with gray, red and black. Thus, entitling it above; Revenge Site.

 

  
  
‘ ** _User_** : _Thank you for fulfilling my request! I’m in debt of your patronage!_ ’

‘ ** _SK0_** : _It was nothing. I ensure you that the **fee** is at deal?_ ’

‘ ** _User_** : _Of course, I already sent you the amount of money into your account. Once again, I thank you. If you weren’t there, my family would’ve been in trouble. I need the job to continue supporting my family._ ’

‘ ** _SK0_** : _You wouldn’t regret this choice? Asking me to slaughter the manager of your own company?_ ’

‘ ** _User_** : _He’s no longer a manager. I wouldn’t even think about letting him roam around the society, after blackmailing his own employee!_ ’

‘ ** _SK0_** : _Well, it’s all taken care of, you can rest easily now. Thank you for your patronage._ ’

‘ ** _User_** : _Yes, thank you so much. The deal is now complete, Silent Killer._ ’

 

  
  
  
As the user’s identity logged off, the account known as _**SK0**_ clicked onto a link for a virtual bank. The amount of cash increased just like how the client said that it was already taken care of.

  
“That’s all the request for today, busy as always.” A voice of girl in her teen, sat back from staring at the computer screen. A ring from her phone buzzed on the desk next to the computer, tapping on the answer button and putting on the speaker option.

  
Sighing in exhaustion, she replied to the caller. “Yeah, who is it?”

  
“The security cameras were all fabricated and tampered with, now can I get my cash?” a young man also in his teen, but slightly older and matured compared to hers.

  
Rolling her eyes away, she sat up taking the phone and walked away from the dim room. “Go to my apartment now, you can quit your yapping here.” And immediately closed the call. Putting it into her pocket.

  
As the lights enlightened to whom the girl is; a fairly tall girl with white hair with red pins on her left bangs, tied up in low twin-tails to her waist with magenta eyes, currently wearing a simple shirt and blue shorts down to her upper knee.

 

  
She sat down on the sofa, picking up the remote control and pushed the on button. The TV’s screening the broadcast for tomorrow’s weather. Ignoring the sunny day tomorrow, she clicks on another channel, premiering a cooking channel. Ignoring it once again, she clicks on another premiering a news live on tonight’s latest case.

  
The woman reporter speaks boldly in front of the camera while holding the mic to announce the current news.

  
  
“---a murder on this very building. The victim is the manager of this company; Takao Miyanishi, age 43, death cause; a stab in the throat with a glass shard. However, many has reported that Mr. Miyanishi was blackmailing few people and---“

  
Before getting to the vital point, a door suddenly barges its way open wide. And a large slam was loud enough to distract the ears of the watcher.

 

  
“Oi, you better explain this properly, Hikae!!” an exact same sound coming from the phone not too long ago, but this time, he seems agitated.

 

  
  
The girl being called as Hikae groans and presses the volume up. Aware of the latter’s ranting coming up soon, she lazily yawns. Not even any spare seconds, the abrupt guest immediately blocks her view of the TV. Wearing a green jersey, and beneath it is just a simple blue shirt accompanied with a red collar, and denim jeans provided with gray sneakers.

  
“You bitch, explain WHY I have to cooperate in a blackmail case!?” he ranted, as expected. The tall boy with copper hair and yellow eyes complained, with extreme displease and disgust. “You should’ve told me beforehand!”

  
Not even a hitch of surprised reaction, calmly saying with ease, “Even if I did, you wouldn’t help me. That’s the issue here.” And scoots her view aside to see the TV, thanks to the guest blocking her view.

  
Finally releasing his anger, he grabbed the latter’s wrist with hardened force. “But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to do it, for fuck sake!” gritting his teeth in dismaying anger, Hikae can only glare at him.

  
“So, what? Remember your own place, you pig. You said that you’d help me after what I’ve done for you in the past, so you’d better start kneeling down on your knees to whom are you defying to. Or else.” Giving him a final warning, she gives off a menacing vibe, like it could kill him in any second.

 

  
Taking off the death sentence off his chart, he released his tight grip off her wrist. Clicking his tongue and sat on the sofa next to her. Finally free from his turmoil, Hikae presses the volume button to lower the voice audacity.

  
“---once again, the calling card of this mysterious site; Revenge Site has taken over the entire murder situation. Silent Killer Rei is still on the loose, but the government stated that they can’t be trialed for serial killings that has happen constantly. And now---“

 

  
  
  
Click.

  
Turning to another commercial channel, Hikae exhales her exhausted breath as she leans her back against the sofa. The young guest can only groans in displeasure after watching the news, turning his head to the girl beside him.

  
“Just as I was looking forward to my prize, of all things, why blackmail…?” he asks.

  
Without even giving a reply of proper mannerism or even a glance, she asks back. “Who told you that you can snoop around the information of the request? Lousy Peeping-Tom.”

  
“You son of a bitch.” He calmly retaliates, not before going to the kitchen area just right over the left corner to get some beverage. “Notify me beforehand, will you! You know how much I HATE blackmails.” Wandering through the kitchen and beginning his search into the fridge.

  
Sitting up to a straight sitting position, still watching the commercial news with lack of interest and apathy to change channels. “Not that I care, your issue is not my issue. And I only have cola left.” She replies.

  
A thump from the fridge’s door was heard. As the guest came back to the sofa with a can of cola in his grip, opening the can as it spurts a loud fizz, and immediately chugging it on.

  
The fizzle of the cola is enough to make his throat needed a time for fresh air, and lapsing out a release of stressed breaths away. “Yeah, not your issue. But I take it personally, okay? They’re the worst.” As pure disgust seeks out from the glare of his eyes.

 

  
“Is it because of your past that you got blackmailed by your supposed friend?”

 

  
“……………..”

 

  
  
  
As nothing resides of their current conversation, it was temporary silence. But the look of the young man’s face is all filled with deep hatred, wanting revenge. He proceeded to drink the cola to control his temperance.

  
“You already gave a request to give them karma. Shouldn’t you be happy that they’ve got what they deserved?” asks Hikae.

  
He nodded. “…as if. I’m neither happy nor regretful. When someone you trust backstabbed you like that, it’s best to give them the last lesson before you erase them out of your life.” He says, as his eyes paneled down to below. “I hate being indebted, I’ve got no choice but to help you.”

  
“That’s because you didn’t have anything to repay me for.” Hikae sighs, much to her guest’s chagrin of unimportant revelation. “I’m tired for today, having done 6 requests makes my fatigue rises.”

  
“6? Seriously?” as he found that too bizarre for a girl like her to do multiple tasks in just one day. Especially if it’s killing. “Damn…” as a voice of disbelief escaped from his mouth.

  
Hikae pressed the off button, enacting the TV to turn off after premiering a commercial. Sitting up, stretching her arms and walks slowly towards her room. Not before saying, “Don’t believe it? I’m no joke when it comes to killing.”

  
An exaggerated acceptance coming from the boy, as he sat up finishing his cola then throwing it to the trash can. “The password is still the same, right? I’m transferring the money soon to my account.” And heads towards the front door.

  
She nodded, opening her room. But, “Oy, Hikae.” He said, making her turn her head, facing each other from the distance.

 

  
“…thanks for the cola.” And exited her apartment room.

 

  
  
A minute of pause after him saying that, she finally enters her bedroom. A simple room adorned with bright red wallpaper and black rugs, not too large and not too cramped. Hikae shuts off the lights, as the moonlight brightens the room with blue light.

  
Laying down on her bed, she takes out her phone from her pocket, and checking what’s beyond the screen. A popped out ringtone was heard, signaling a message coming from a fellow colleague of hers. Tapping the screen to check the iconic message app.

  
  
She reads,

  
  
  
‘ ** _To_** : **Rinne Hikae**

 ** _Subject_** : **Sorry, my bad**

_Sorry about that, I just got so caught up about the past. But please, just notify me if there’s a blackmail case. I hate how thing goes about blackmail, and you should’ve understand why._

_But thanks for the cola. I already transferred the sum I need for payment of my service. ‘Night._

  
**_Sender_** : **Wataru Kawase** ’

 

  
After reading the mail, she closes her phone, locking the screen. Laying it down next to her, as she lulls down into a slumber.

 

* * *

  
  
_That’s right._

_My name is **Rinne Hikae**. My talent is to kill people._

_My parents were murdered, and I was brought into a world of killings._

_I taught myself to kill, to slaughter, to annihilate, to assassinate, and to infiltrate. With no reasons other than completing what I was tasked with._

_And that’s how the Revenge Site is built; to fulfill people’s revenge against their ‘targets’._

 

_That’s not all._

_I never really had any reason why. Why do I kill, and why do I live to destroy._

_I never wanted anything. Nor receive or given. I don’t even know why I was born._

_Why am I here? What do I want? It’s either ' **hope** ' or ' **despair** '._

 

_And how will my life change, it doesn’t really matter._

_I live to kill, and that’s it._

_My purpose is to kill under the guise of a serial killer works as an assassin,_

_That’s right…_

_I am the **Silent Killer**   **Rei**._

* * *

 

  
The bird chirps to greet the dawn. Slow blinks of her eyes as she’s waken to reality. Sitting up, stretching her arms up, and yawns as she barely even slept peacefully. Her messy white hair spoofed up an urge to go and take an early shower.

  
Barely focusing on what is currently happening, she immediately got off from the bed and walks out of her bedroom. It’s a chilly morning, even the AV surrounding almost every room makes it colder.

  
Even walking out of the bedroom, noticing a glint of light coming from another room. Curiosity first landed on her mind first thing in the morning, and walks to examine what.

  
As she entered the room, the computer screen kept its blinding light which makes most of the dark room bright. “What…it’s just the computer…” she checks the screen, revealing the virtual bank from last night.

  
“...did I forget to turn off the computer yesterday?” she asks, if she has forgotten to shut down the computer. Then she notices a blink of the site next to the virtual bank; Revenge Site. Without even hesitating what the request calling up so early in the morning is, she swiftly clicks the mouse cursor to check.

  
  
A message appeared;

  
  
  
‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _Hello, SK0. I saw the news on a murder of the company’s manager, and it made me think to ask you for a mission as what the rumors of your site has applied to._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _I’ll keep it quick. I have a mission for you._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _I want you to infiltrate a secret lab hidden under a facility known as the Reserve Course. There, you will have to destroy the lab and rescue a hostage on sector unit-07._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _It will be easier if you infiltrate it at nighttime today, and make sure that you leave no witnesses._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _Don’t worry about the **fee**. I already gave you the amount of money you desire. With this, the deal is struck._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _I won’t take no for an answer. Good day, and make sure you succeed, or else._ ’

 

  
  
As she scrolled down the entire message request, her mind is filled with displeasure. There is actually someone who wanted her to do their request so badly, this is the first time that has ever happened.

  
But as what the Anomaly account said by ‘the amount of money you desire’ leaves her to go and click the virtual account next to the site.

  
About 4.5 million yen, with that, you can buy anything for a lifetime.

  
A ridiculous amount of money like that…why would they sacrifice a lot of money just for a simple request?

  
With that question rendering deep in her mind, she immediately went back to the Revenge Site to ask further about their goal.

 

 

‘ ** _SK0_** : _What is your goal?_ ’

 

 

She waited for a reply, and it was quicker than she could’ve ever imagined first thing in the morning.

 

  
  
‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _If you’re asking why; I want you to seek out the true meaning of ‘ **hope** ’. You would know the prestigious school known as Hope’s Peak Academy, am I correct?_’

‘ ** _SK0_** : _Yes, and why you ask?_ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _Are you sure that Hope’s Peak is ‘ **hope** ’ itself? Doesn’t it strike you as strange of how does Hope’s Peak maintain such a miraculous balance over these past few years?_’

‘ ** _SK0_** : _I see no problem. But you’re trying to prove a point here._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _Exactly. That is why I want you to investigate. But if you don’t…_ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _I will have to force you to do it._ ’

‘ ** _SK0_** : _What are you implying?_ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _I know who you are, where you are living, and what you did. I can always expose your identity to the public media about your true nature._ ’

 

  
  
“What…?” she gave a confused look, Hikae felt disturbed by their antics and wanted to type more of how will they threaten her. But…not for long, a file was sent.

Click.

 

Documents of past murders cases committed by the Silent Killer narrowing down to her profile, in full complete details and evidences.

 

  
It’s a blackmail request.

 

  
  
‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _If the media knew about this, wouldn’t your reputation goes down into the drain? You will have to suffer through the police and the law, until reclaiming your well-served sentence._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _Thankfully, the system here is secure. No one will know about our private conversation, so you’re safe for now._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _Unless you will have to bring out my deed._ ’

 

  
Hikae gave a serious glare, she wouldn’t know who sent her this request from beyond the screen. With a murderous intent filling deep within her chest, she finally knew a reason for her to kill.

 

  
  
‘ ** _SK0_** : _Who ARE you? And what is your intent?_ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _I am_ _one of the people you know. Either friends or colleagues or stranger, it doesn’t matter._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _My intent is to seek the ‘ **truth** ’. The whole ' **truth** ' of Hope’s Peak Academy’s ‘ **hope** ’._’

 

  
The killer herself has no trump-card to counter-attack their threat, more like a dead end. There’s no choice, Hikae can only agree to do her business or else.

  
  
‘ ** _SK0_** : _I got it. I’ll carry out the mission tonight._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _So I see, you’ve come into a full cooperation. Very well then, I assure you that you’ll succeed._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** : _I thank you for your patronage, Ms. Silent Killer._ ’

 

  
  
As the chat suddenly went static and disappeared without leaving any trace, it was enough for her to be surprised of how it could. This means that the ‘ _ **Anomaly**_ ’ was far from being an ordinary client she had faced before.

  
Given the situation she is given, she shuts down the computer and went back to her bedroom. Taking up her phone, and dialed a certain number she trusts.

 

Few rings later…

 

  
“…hello? It’s in the middle of the morning, you fucking idiot.” It was Kawase’s voice, feeling drowsy of the sudden call happening this early morning.

  
Not feeling any offend, she continues. “I’ve got a request. But I was blackmailed by the requester.”

  
“Wha- no shit?” he was turned aback. “Who blackmailed you?”

  
“An account addressed as ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’, could you search the person for me?” she asks, while walking towards the powder room.

  
A slight grunt was heard through the call. “I get it, and what’s the mission for today’s request?”

 

  
  
Putting down her phone not far from the sink, Hikae washes her face, giving a fresh determined look of a killer starting a hunt.

  
With a determined voice, she declares;

 

  
  
“To find out the ' _hope'_ of Hope’s Peak Academy.”

 

   
   
 

* * *

Chapter 1; _**end**_.

 

 _ **To be continued**_.


	3. Unidentified Meaning

“You’ve graduated from Hope’s Peak few months ago, right?”

In a broad daylight street, walking on the pathway as she held her phone right to her ear. Talking to someone. Wearing a hazel coat, red skirt with black legging, and brown winter boots to add.

“Yeah, so? What about it?” a static voice coming from Kawase.

As cars, trucks and other vehicles passes the road, Hikae only kept going ignoring the loud voice of the engines.

“Nothing personal, but you can track down files from the Hope’s Peak database system, can’t you?” she asks.

“That’s bullshit. Hope’s Peak isn’t that easy to hijack, and once you’ve been found out by the securities, bad time.” As he slightly complained. “You really are serious about this, huh?”

Even if he couldn’t see her nodding from within the call, Kawase is able to comprehend the situation of her silence. “Well, I don’t have the information you might be satisfied with, but hopefully it would be of use.”  
Hikae felt assured by the smallest chance of possibility. “Alright, thanks.” Ending the call, and tucks her phone into her coat pocket.  
   
To where she’s going? Walking down the road with no stop, her mind is pondered over the request she was forced to coerce. What is their intention? It feels like they really needed the request to be fulfilled badly enough to blackmail her.

 

“Hey hey, have you heard?” a female student in front of her is talking to her friend as they kept walking past her.

“About the murder that happened yesterday?” she said.

 

The other student gave a discontent smile. “Eww, no! Don’t talk about that!” giving a disgusted tone. The girls continued to chatter as they walked even further than Hikae’s pace.  
Identifying their uniforms; they wore a brown blazer, with a white shirt underneath it, and tied with a red ribbon on the collar, and a brown skirt. Judging by that, it should be the initial Hope’s Peak uniform.  
   
Without sparring any seconds left of this opportunity, she took deep breaths and pulling along a fakery composure. Hikae approached both of those girls.  
“Excuse me, but can I ask you a question?” giving a cunning smile of a bright and cheerful persona, but in this case, it’s only a façade.

The girls stopped walking and turned around, one of them replied, “Oh, yeah, sure. What is it?” she offered.

Putting her index finger on her cheek as a demeanor to think, Hikae asks, “By any chance, do you know the way to Hope’s Peak? I saw your uniforms and I thought that I can ask for directions.”

The schoolgirls looked at each and giggled. The other girl nods. “Yeah, it’s not that far. Just go straight and go right. There’s a big gate there, follow the main path and you’ll reach the central plaza. That separates paths to Hope’s Peak and the Reserve Course.” She explained.

“Did you get it?” the girl next to her friend asks. Hikae nodded and smiles, taking an advantage of the information.

“I see! Thank you so much, both of you!” thanking them, although it was an act but it sounded sincere. An assassin would always adapt of their surroundings without anyone detecting suspicion.  
Both girls smiled back. “Nah, don’t worry about it! Hope you find your way!” waving a goodbye, they ran hastily as if they’re trying to make it in time for school. Hikae replied with a wave too.  
 

Just few seconds after they’re far enough, Hikae stops and sighs, changing back to her previous state. Fading her smile away just in mere seconds, giving the usual stoic look. For her, acting as an innocent and bright persona is more like a proper disguise in public, and is much easier to roam around with.

“So it’s near the Reserve Course too. Better ask Kawase for details after this.” Hikae thought, continued to walk straight to her destination. But, for what? The mission starts off at night, what is she going to do on the noon?  
After walking how many meters, she found a big gate on the right, leading to a wide main path. The girls really helped her out with the directions, viewing the gate as she’s trying to inspect the whole thing. Hope’s Peak Academy is right over there, with the image of the academy stands by from the distance.

 

Walking pass by the gate, she walked and walked on the main path to get to the academy. The girls said that there’s a plaza that separates the main course with the reserve course, so she’s heading there.

Passing by the students with random or customized attires, things like these should’ve been seen as normal for those _Ultimates_. They say talent is everything, it brings hope and the future set bright for you. A vision of your success.

But is that all true?

Is talent the only thing that matters in a case of superiority?

   
Thinking that aside, Hikae arrived at the central plaza. Viewing through the entire scenery as the water flowing down from the fountain gives off a vibe of a pleasant haven here. Spotting the paths divided into 4 direction; east, north, west, and south.

Gazing up at the sight of the main building, the enormous presence of such majestic-looking ‘Academy of Hope’ with the embedded logo of Hope’s Peak in the middle of the tall tower-stature. Not even a strike of an awe, she continued finding her way to her destination.

Taking her phone that’s tucked into her pocket, tapping the contact application to check one of the people she knew. Hikae didn’t recall ever having friends or buddies to hang out, cue with her contact list is very little. Finding the one she’s looking for, she taps to see the full profile of the contact.  
   
 

 ** _Name_** : Kin’ichirou Chiejima.  
**_Number_** : XXX-XXXX-XXXX  
**_Affiliation_** : Reserve Course Local Clinic.  
   
   
Just a little look from the phone, Hikae immediately closes it and tucks it into her coat pocket. Walking towards the west, where the Reserve Course building is. Looming over the sky while walking down the path, pondered over the mysterious account’s request.  
Hikae couldn’t understand the reasons why. Either it’s to take over Hope’s Peak or trying to expose its secrets to the press, but what content results will it produce? Just overthrowing a superior ‘ _Academy of Hope_ ’ is just ridiculous enough for a normal person.

Unless a strong feeling of greed and wrath overpowered their ego into bringing a web-assassin into doing such a deed, even if it’s need to be done with blackmail.  
Hikae thought about tracking them down to force out the answers. But she has to complete the mission first then she could ask why.

Few of the student in slightly different uniform colors walked sides towards the same path as her, could it be the Reserve Course students? They felt somehow, colorless than the main course, no vibrant specialities, no unique vibes of skills, nothing.

 

Merely talentless. As vague like monochrome.

 

Hikae marches forward without even looking at the silent scenario between those students. She already knew what the Reserve Course works as. It’s all for those ordinary students who was driven by their motive to enter the main course, but lacks the vital formula to truly attend there; talent.

So instead, Hope’s Peak provided a spot for those ordinary students to enter Hope’s Peak, by a sum amount of cash. That is the Reserve Course. It’s mostly to be like an ordinary school unlike the main course who can roam around freely besides having class.

 

All that matters that they held their talent in check.

Talent is all superiority. A key to all success, happiness, glory, pride, and hope.

Even if all of that comes across the assassin’s mind, she doesn’t care. The only thing she has to care is killing, Revenge Site, escaping the police and law, that’s that.  
 

 

 

* * *

 

After possibly walking without noticing that she’s finally arrived at her destination, gazing upon a fairly normal-width clinic just few meters from the Reserve Course. Entering the clinic as the door automatically slides, and closed once she walked further from getting detected from the door’s censors.

The white ceramic walls compelled with the chilly air thanks to the AC, it fits more like a small hospital. But although the staffs here are little, but few of the students would often come here. The scent of anesthesia and isopropanol lingers around, although it’s just bits, but the scent is fairly strong.

Passing by the corridors shrouded in white, walking up the stairs ignoring those workers who’re busy setting up the place, eventually Hikae made her way in front of the metallic door. Raising up her hand to knock the door…

Well, was about to knock the door.  
 

Until a young man opens the door without noticing the girl in front of him. He was looking back at the time, with a faint smile on his face. “Thanks for the help.” A broad voice said, with a fair build the boy turns his way forward and abruptly starts to notice the girl in front of him.

“Oh, s-sorry.” He apologized. Seeing his unremarkable sight, he must be another Reserve Course student. Spiky brown hair with an antennae right on the middle and green eyes with a straight line across his pupil, wearing a standard Reserve Course’s uniform just like the ones Hikae saw not long ago.

Once again, Hikae had to force a smile. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it!” she falsely reassured, the boy steps aside letting her to go into the room. Leaving her be, he walks away not long after he glanced at her, and slowly leaves.

Just distance after his departure, Hikae closes the door and reverts back to her cold expression. A whistle coming in front of her, a middle aged man between his late 40s or early 50s gave a cheeky grin. Sitting on the stool while wearing olive shirt underneath his white coat, black long pants and dark brown leather shoes.

 

“It’s been a long time, Rin-chan~♪” he said playfully.

Not even looking at his eyes, she marches to grab a stool. “Whatever, gramps.”

He pouted back. “Rude.”

 

Placing down the stool right near the infirmary’s bed, she sat down with no dilly dally. “Who was that boy?” she asks, just for a tad information.  
The doctor fixed his glasses. “A student from the Reserve Course facility. He felt woozy in the morning and went here for a check-up. It’s nothing serious, probably over-stressed mind.” Earnestly saying, he continued, “So I offered him the antidote and a cup of chamomile tea, I even suggested him to eat an apple if he has the time.”

“Too many details, but that’s doctors for us. Especially if they’re like you.” Hikae sarcastically commented. Checking on her phone after taking it out from her pocket.

Again, the man asks with an unamused face. “What’s that supposed to mean anyway?” as if her words really took a bother onto him. Sliding the irrelevant chit-chat away, he asks for real this time. “First of all, what brings you here?”  
 

“This.” As the assassin showed him what’s beyond the screen over her phone. The structural map of the Reserve Course itself, from the main floor, top floor onto every single detail were all included. “I need to know something from a fellow faculty member; Kin’ichirou Chiejima, for a task.”

After looking at the content, he folded his arm whilst closing his eyes to think. “And what’s this got to do with me?” he sternly asks, it’s almost like switching from his goofy first impression into a serious tone of an adult.

A glare meddled with a serious atmosphere condemns the entire situation into a battle between wits and determination. This small room beseeched the air into a tightening state between the assassin and the doctor.

 

Hikae negotiated with a glare, looking at her prey. “Help me out in this one. I don’t care if you refuse-“  
“Okay.”

 

…

 

“What…?” finding herself dead-found of his nonchalant acceptance. “What are you insisting this time?” she asks again for a proper confirmation. “Help me or-“  
The fellow doctor with just a blank and honest expression rewinds back to his answer. “I said I’d help you. Period.”

Few seconds after realization brought her back to reality, stunned by the latter’s quick response towards her threat, as if it really was nothing to him. Usually, she will have to force him to do it even if he completely refuses to cooperate.

Trying to find words matching his abrupt idiocity, only to say; “You’re…weird today.” Sincerely stating the fact, Hikae may be able to deceive people with a perfect act, but her true self is often rendered raw but earnest.

“Am not. You meanie.” Standing up to search for files into his desk’s drawer, a large amount of papers are stocked in there, probably just mostly student data-files on their health bio. “Again, you need to ask me something?”

“Oh, right.” Before immediately going back to her checkpoint. “I heard there’s a hidden lab below the Reserve’s Course? Is it true?” Hikae says, demanding for answers.  
After inspecting the rummage of files in his drawer, he took one of the files and closed the drawer. Placing the file he had in his hands onto the desk, opening the lid to see its contents. “Maybe yes, maybe not, it’s all private matters only VIP may acknowledge.”

Impatiently waiting for a newsbreak to appear, she asks once more. “But it’s true in your opinion. If so, how do I get there? Do I need special permission to enter?” she said, awaiting for approving results.

Sliding the files as it scatters down spreading a ruff mess on the desk, he checks one by one to find the correct thing he’s been looking for. Not letting his mind get distracted by doing both, he mends his focus straight towards both of them at the same time. “The security system here are not really that right, you can get help by Wataru-kun to open it.”

“I see…” finally finding an opportunity between his information, she texted Kawase referring about the security system of the Reserve Course. Pauses down to get more statement from the doctor. “What else do you know?”

 

Tucking down the files he has identified into a tidy pile of sheets, he continued his testimony. “Security guards always roams around nighttime across the hallways, there’s security cameras all around the building, wouldn’t that be difficult to infiltrate easily?” he asked with little concern.  
Faintly smirking in arrogance, she pride excuses herself. “Things can’t always be underestimated. I will succeed and that’s final.” She defied him of bringing up the impossible and consuming it into becoming the possible.

“You sure have pride in yourself, missy. Not bad for a web-assassin.” As he spoke, aware of her critical identity as Silent Killer Rei. It seems like the man knew more much like Kawase regarding who she is. Although he’s just a simple doctor working in a local clinic, he’s smarter than he looks.

Hikae nodded, texting down Kawase the plans for tonight’s mission then tucking the phone to her pocket, and sat up with a satisfying end. Preparing herself to make her leave, until…

“Before you go, you might need this.” As the grey-haired man walked to her and gave her a map labeled as a ‘ _secret lab_ ’, much to her surprise. “Someone brought this to my clinic yesterday and left it without noticing, so I kept it for secret measure.” As he gave an entrusting smile to her.

Taking the map, and folding it into a fitting size for her pocket to keep it. “...you should’ve told me beforehand, Chiejima.” She said, referring to his surname without consent. He only grinned and patted her on the head.

“Nah, I like to take it slow.” Rubbing her white hair as if it’s a familial moment for them. “Heh, wish my son and wife were here. I miss them so much!” puffing his cheeks in discontent, making him more childish than the mature figure she saw back then.

Wondering why, she questions him out of sheer curiosity. “They haven't come home from their vacation abroad?” muttering the question, even though she’s not relevant to his personal life.  
“Not yet, but I’m still waiting.” As he releases his hand off her head. “Once they got home, I’ll give them a biiig hug! I want to taste my wife’s cooking soon, or possibly my son’s.” he flails around dreaming of the near future. A loving father to his family, which ceases the serious temperament happening around this room.

 

That, Hikae doesn’t really understand. The joy of having a family like that, or even tasting a delightful meal made by a beloved family member.

Her mind and body were all set to killing from the start. She wouldn’t comprehend things besides killing and revenge.

She felt numb. Even though she’s human, the numbness crawls down into lack of empathy.

Almost like she couldn’t fully understand herself.  
 

 

 

“I’d better get going.” As she felt that she shouldn’t be here any longer, turning her back towards the door and slowly marches out of the room. A tap to her shoulder halted her from going any further. Turning her head to her behind.

Chiejima asks for the last time. “Rin-chan, who are you doing this for?” he asks. Hikae remembers the whole blackmail case happened this morning, and she thought to herself not to indulge this any further. Judging by her plain reaction, Chiejima could understand that it was from a client of hers.

 

“Okay, let me revise back.” He continued. As the words slowly formed from his mouth;

 

“For what reason do you have to go this far?”  
 

 

As the striking question manages to pierce her silence. He had nothing to do with her case, or her client, or anything. But, his green eyes took a serious toll of an answer in demand. Hikae turned her head forward, muttering something that’s recalled from her experience.  
“To uncover the ‘ _hope_ ’ of this academy.”  
Saying it almost prophetic, she immediately walks away from Chiejima, opening and shutting down the door to end their current conversation.  
 

Footsteps of hers slowly vanished into undetected silence. Chiejima himself, staring at the palm of his hand, his eyes shuts down slowly as his palm closes and turned into a fisting grip. A look of pure disgust and shreds of rage tremors down onto his soul.  
It almost look like he doesn’t even want to be related to Hope’s Peak.  
 

“What’s so good about Hope’s Peak anyway? Talent-hungry people sacrificing their pride just for the sake of the academy, it’s nothing more like a corrupted utopia.”  
Walking back to his desk and took a peek of his photo frame; encasing a portrait of a boy and a middle-aged woman not too young from Chiejima. He silently smiles, returning back to control himself. He grinned, as the hope of belief tuned down into his soul. “Michiyo, Kiseki, come home soon, alright?”  
 

 

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, long after Hikae finished her business with Chiejima, she immediately contacted Kawase through her phone. A few rings later, the clacking of the phone was answered.

“So, how’s it going? Did you get the information you need?” asks Kawase beyond the call.

Hikae nodded. “Fortunately, it suffices.” As she continued walking down the pave way back to her apartment for preparations. “And have you found anything useful yet about Hope’s Peak?”

“Probably. You’re just infiltrating Reserve Course, I can explain it to you later after the mission.” The boy said. “You met with Chiejima, didn’t you?” he questioned her.  
Not even any formal reaction, she nonchalantly to remark in sarcasm. “Does it look like I’m interviewing a talking machine?” enough for her to listen a loud sigh from the other side. “I’ll be home soon, you’ve gotten the mail, right? Go and prepare the necessity for tonight.”

“Heh, whatever. Don’t even count on me if my hacking skills are too mediocre, I only specialize in editing business.” Warned Kawase, unpredictably being cheesy with the jokes. “I’m the former Ultimate Editor, so you’d better pay me up to a tee for my special service.”

Both are aware of Kawase’s skills, for he did attend Hope’s Peak after all. Taking him lightly would be a selfish and foolish choice, there is a reason why Hikae needed him for clearing her up.  
Looking up at the orange sky, the time will come soon. It’s time for her to bring out her mission for this ‘Anomaly’. Her determination sets in as she was about to unravel the truth of hope once and for all.

 

“Okay, so, any last question before we get down to business?” Kawase asks, but his tone of voice remains uninterested at all. He would guess that Hikae threatens to not fail the mission or a knife will be stuck on his head.  
Pondering awhile, she mumbled something. Something she’s been wondering about after her visit to Chiejima. Something she would want to understand, to make her feel ease as a human being.  
 

 

“Kawase, how does it feel like to be with family?” she silently asked as if she wanted to understand.

 

Seconds of silence widens the gap of virtual communication. “…huh? It’s pretty good…I think?” Kawase’s voice can be felt as he simply answered an unusual question. Coming from an assassin, no less. “Hikae, you okay? What hap-“

“It’s nothing, forget it-“, she swiftly ends the call, leaving behind a question mark to the editor’s mind. Why would she ask that? Is it because of Chiejima’s influence? Or is it something else?  
 

 

Exhaling down her breath, trying to stay focused on her current thoughts. It’s a job for an assassin to kill and slay. Therefore, useless feelings such as love, joy, sadness, nothing should interfere with her work.  
 

Why?  
 

 

Because she’s **Silent Killer Rei**.  
 

 

* * *

Chapter 2: _**end**_.  
   
_**To be continued**_.


	4. Nameless Hope

Nighttime.

The lone wind drizzled down its cold breeze, as the trees silently sways around by the wind. Leaves flew down into the ground, and immediately got blown away.

Hope’s Peak is already silent itself. The main course students must’ve left to their dormitories right on the south. The Reserve Course would just go home back to their own house, no special treatments needed for the ordinaries.

Security guards roamed around the areas with flashlights in their grasp. The plaza had 2 guards keeping their guards on incoming intruders. It’s nothing but just silence and the drowsy atmosphere happening around them.

One of the guards yawned, enough for the latter to scold him. “Pipe it down, we’re trying to guard here.”

“Sorry, I just feel like we’ve got nothing to do.” He excused himself. “There’s no one infiltrating this academy, why should we be bothered by it?” he asks dismissively.

The latter guard sighed in dismay. “Why did I bother to bring you here…listen up, we do our job and get paid. That’s it.” Giving just a simple reason as to why. The other one is just not amused with the dull answer.

“That’s not the point, actually.” But asking more would just be a waste of time, he quickly ended the chat. “Well, whatever. We can rest later after this, I’m tired.” He gave a relaxed smile, least the ignorance.

 The look of the latter is just done with his laziness. “You damn monkey, try to keep control of yourself.” He scolded for the last time, before leaving the plaza to the north.

“Roger~” relaxingly saying, following the serious one.

 

* * *

Minutes after they’ve gone far enough, the lone assassin was hiding behind the tree all this time. With a mini-transmitter placed right over her right ear as she spied down to check if the coast’s clear. Whispering down over the transmitter, “Plaza’s clear, check the west camera.”

Behind the scene, the elder one took his sight to the camera installed on the north area channeled on the screen. No- more like every single cameras channeled down to the large monitor of his computer, the illuminated light blue screen shines down to reflect his yellow eyes that’s currently glued to the screens.

Moving on to the main topic of sightseeing the west area, it’s only got one guard in check. With the headset he wore, fixing up his mic to inform the girl. “One guard, just pass over by the trees.” He commanded.

Hikae nodded, and jumped over the bushes, running towards the west. As what Chiejima mentioned, the Reserve Course doesn’t really have too many securities clinging on.

The moon shines brightly tonight, reflecting her shadows as she ran. Lightening up her black jersey with black shorts up to her thighs, knee-length white shocks and red converse. After almost reaching the west building, she notices a blinding light coming, and immediately jumps down into the bushes.

Footsteps drawing near, she ducks more to avoid getting seen. It’s just another security guard, checking the surroundings with his flashlight, reflecting the shadows of trees and bushes. Not much had been discovered, he walks farther away.

“Well, that’s one guard down. South’s all clear.” Says Kawase, Hikae felt assured by that. She fled away from her hiding spot and rushed towards the clear south. Arriving on the destination, she took a picklock from her hair, walking up to the locked entrance door and tries to quickly open the door.

 

Ka-chunk.

The lock was successfully opened, and hurried inside before the guards come. Finally entering the dark hallway, looking around through the darkness and walked towards the east wing. “Kawase, could you check the map for me?” she asks.

“Roger.” As Kawase reached for the map right over the left side of his desk, opening its insides and scanning around the whole architecture of the whole building. “Okay, you’re on the east as what you planned…now, go three rooms ahead and turn left.” Kawase ordered.

Hikae walks straight according to Kawase, but mostly according to the map. Passing by the rooms from one, two, three, and faced to the left. “Okay, what next?” she said. The latter eyed the screens, with one of the cameras having a security guard coming far from her behind, thankfully he hasn’t seen a full glimpse of the assassin.

“Hide first, someone’s coming from behind. Find any open room and hide quickly!” as Kawase warned, turning on Hikae’s instinct to go and find a silent refuge. Walking fast to slide open the door one by one, and eventually finds nowhere to hide as the doors were all locked tight.

The echoing steps walks near, and leaving a limited time to perform any actions. All that’s up to now is how will the assassin find the solution in such a short time.

“C’mon, just find a place to hide…!”

The guard’s figure pops out, looming to check any suspicious presence lurking around. Giving the light to navigate details of the surroundings, and after a short pause, he walks away with the light zooming away from the current location.

 

Not even half minutes after his depart, a whisper spoke up. “That was close.”

Hiding from the locker filled with cleaning equipment the janitor possibly uses, and closing it slowly with no creaks heard. She can hear the other boy’s sighs, as if he felt like him being in her shoes.

“You nearly got me, you fucker-“, not even any sign of gratitude but just more of a burdened tone. “I thought you’re going to bail this mission down…” as Kawase face-palmed with sweat over his face.

Hikae, unwearied, simply puts on a calm face. Ignoring the oppression this editor is having right now. “Quit complaining, and tell me what’s next.” As she said without any sympathy for him, much to Kawase’s dismay of her mistreatment towards him.

Since there’s no helping it but to continue assisting her, he resumes. “Go to the storage room, there’s a basement which hides a ‘secret lab’ there.” He said. Hikae searched around to find the storage in the middle of the dark, with the template above each rooms as her navigation.

She managed to find the storage room, reaching her hand to the doorknob and slide it…unless, it was locked firmly. The sound of rattling came across the dead silent corridor, thankfully the guard back then walked far enough not to hear even the slightest sound of it.

“…it’s locked.” Hikae can only assume. If this was a mechanic door with security system, Kawase would’ve done it with no pressure at all. Thinking that today’s mission will probably be as quick like the previous ones she’s done, but expectations wouldn’t even match comparing to reality.

But she would never give up. An assassin would never give up that easily on missions, especially when her behalf’s going to blackmail her if she fails this mission. That would never happen, because she relied fully on her talent. The talent which surpasses normal teenagers.

Contacting down to her fellow helper, tapping the transmitter placed on her right ear. “Faculty room, stat.” wanting a quick response.

“West wing, same floor, between the janitor’s room and the accountant’s room.” Kawase responded. That’s enough for her to catch on detail, and took light steps not to cause any sound that would trigger the guards.

Passing through the main entrance hallway to the west wing, trying to eye on the template with the correct room containing the key to the storage room. She walks around, eventually finds the room she’s looking for. Standing in front of the room, and uses the same picking trick she did back there at the entrance.

 

Ca-click.

That one small sound made the assassin capable of going in. Opening the door as she enters, with the sight of the room shrouded entirely with darkness, it is nighttime after all. But enough of that, she came here to find the key. Walking to every desks and searching through the rummages inside the drawers, trying to find the key as quick as she can, before…

“Found it.” Hikae said, with the key on her palm.

Light blinded her vision without any warnings, one of the guards exclaimed down in a halt. “Who’s there!” deliberately making things go critical at the wrong time.

Too slow. That what the assassin thought.

Rapidly running away from the light, giving an opportunity for the guard to find her away, but he was too slow.

“Ngh…??!”

Cold hands strangling him out of the blue, an undetected move such as that rendered him weak and confused, a gurgle of struggle as the flashlight drops down to the floor. The grip was tight, needing only seconds until their breath was depleted.

The guard slowly slumped down, stopping his wriggles like a fish out of water.

Thud.

Dropping him to the ground. Not before the young assassin tucked down the key to the storage, dragging the unconscious body outside.

 

“What was that for?” as Kawase vented out his confusion, unable to understand her motives.

Hikae spoke once more. “Do you even need to ask?” Calmly saying, as things like these doesn’t even waver her cold-steel determination. With her having deep thoughts as to what next.

“…right, I won’t even ask what.” Knowing how far she would risk to have a clean slate record, it’s none of his business to interfere. Continuing where they left of due to the disturbance, Hikae resolves an idea. Dragging the guard’s body by the foot through the hallway, thus even for what kind of plan is this?

She predicted the editor’s reaction, overwhelmed with another one of her crazy tactics. They’ve been knowing each other for a long time, even if her shticks never would’ve been any normal for Kawase to see. Undeniably abnormal, he thought.

Reaching to the storage room, she dropped his foot and takes out the key to open up the storage room’s door. Unlocking the door slowly…

 

Ka-click.

 

Hikae placed her hand on the doorknob, opening it, it let a small creak. And made her way through inside along with the unconscious body she dragged. And slowly closed the door.

Exhaling her breath, she didn’t stop just yet. Pulling the guard’s body and left him slumped down on the wall beside the door, and tucked the storage key in his pocket. With that’s done, she looked around for more clues.

The editor interrupted, “Don’t tell me…you’re using him to frame your crime?” Kawase asks, a sound of unease can be felt from the static between.

“I thought you won’t ask?” Hikae counters. All that’s left is for Kawase to be silenced. Enduring his complains, she didn’t hold back to ask again. “Now I need to go to the basement?” with her eyes aiming at the door on the right corner of the storage room.

“Bingo, you can just pick the lock there.” Kawase claimed.

The assassin’s steps went ahead towards the door to the basement, tugging what’s on her hair for a picklock, and picking the door lock to the basement room in mere seconds.

 

Ka-chunk.

“I’m going in.” and opened the door, quickly closed it.

 

* * *

 

She took few glances, it’s mostly dark. Taking out her phone from her pocket and set the flashlight option, leading her the way to the stairs few inches from her feet. Hikae slowly walks, as the trail is getting closer and closer.

Echoing steps wandering around the whole silent darkness, no steps of hesitation can be felt. It’s just her and her alone, in order to complete her mission and to keep her identity in protection.

“…”

Kawase sighed, he wanted to ask something out of this dreadful silence bordering those two. Hikae understands that, and allowed him to speak. “What?”

“So, even after this…what’re you going to do next?” Kawase asks, “You went along as what ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’ would’ve wanted you to do, and you’re securing your identity and all—“

Hikae cuts off his words briefly before getting to the main point. “What is your point?”

“—is it all worth it? I’m not asking much of a big deal here, but what about you? Got any ideas?” Kawase asks, looks like he was aware of the situation better than her. Well, considering that he’s older than her.

The assassin didn’t think it through, she just kept walking. As she would care, scoffing away the question before piercing her armor. “Who knows?” Calmly speaking.

“Right, I knew it.” Kawase said.

 

Not long after the snarky conversation between those two, she finally reached the basement. Finding only a small dark room with a fire furnace, mostly for dumping trash and to burn them. It’s mostly a dead end of the route.

Still, she hasn’t given up. “Kawase.” She ordered.

The other managed to get the cue and checked the map of the so called ‘secret lab’. “Move straight. I’ll take care of this.”

As she listened to Kawase’s determined voice filled with a trusting reliance, she took steps forward facing the wall. Beyond the transmitter, the sound of the keyboard rapidly tapped as he tries to crack the code down to a zero. Binary numbers appeared on the screen and he kept messing around like a child’s play.

 

Beep-beep.

A peculiar sound was heard, and the wall slides up revealing a secret base inside it. It looks like a lab, as what the map Chiejima gave to them hinted accurately on point.

Hikae armed herself with a knife hidden inside under her jersey, attached to her shirt behind with a garter. Sensing a threatening smell of the area nearby, feels like she would encounter any danger. Not that she’s worried, she already had experiences accumulated with killing and infiltration.

Deep breaths first, and determination seeps even deeper. Making her way only for herself, bracing for the incoming risks beyond that open door. And her figure disappears the moment the door shuts down.

 

* * *

 

Silent steps as she looks around the white hallway covered with metallic walls and ceramic floors, the places wears an eerie atmosphere, it reeks of the smell of drugs and chemicals. Was a laboratory always this unpleasant?

“Navigation, stat.” Hikae ordered, her eyes directing towards the path covered with white. Kawase immediately checks the map again, and clicking on the radar addressed to her current location.

The momentary navigator spoke to lead his underclassman in finding her goal. “Okay, sector unit-07…found it; it’s on the northeast of the map, careful with the scientists.” Kawase warned. “Plus, it’s detailed in here; only to be given a special permission to enter. I just hacked into the file’s data few minutes ago.” As the moment she understood the details, and silently relying on the editor’s navigation guidance.

Running across the dividing hallways as her right ear followed the instructions of the map, and the upperclassman warned him about the scientists securing the area and such. It was a benevolent teamwork they have in sync. As the assassin careful avoided to be sighted or casted from suspicion, this mission won’t be as nifty, but it’s for the sake of her career.

 

Mindlessly wandering hallway after hallway without tracking the time in check, barely raising her fatigue in this infiltration event and passing the scientists passing without their notice, she eventually found herself on the northeast area, a large ominous door stands in front of her.

“…this is the place?” Hikae asked, while inspecting the whole door with an uninterested gaze. Implying she expected something a bit less…obvious. A large door with the number 07 on it, restricted from entering without special permission, as what Kawase mentioned beforehand. “What should I do now?”

Kawase began tapping on the keyboard, narrowing his mouse in a different server, and inputs several codes to crack down the tight system locking the door. “I’m on it, hang on.” As he replied, working on his fairly hacking skills.

As she kept waiting and waiting, Kawase’s hacking skills were all under the borderline of an expert, he’s mostly excels in editing and fabrication. But having him to be a comrade is fine enough, it made things even easier rather than having to work all alone. It would weigh a lot.

Meanwhile, Hikae contemplates as she looks down onto the ceramic white floor. If she were to be done with all of this ordeal, she’ll be roaming free again, she’ll be free from getting blackmailed for good, she can keep her career in check, she…

…what will she do next? Go straight back to killing and accepting requests? Her sins has piled up too many to count for, irredeemable actions like those cannot be changed or repaid with. She lost her family, she worked as an assassin filled with dirty records that was tainted with piles of agony, and she never had anything she wanted.

The assassin had nowhere to go back to. Her whole existence is all empty, she, herself, is devoid of life.

And that’s her only path she could take.

 

 

Beep—

Breaking her out from a momentary silence, she faced to the front and the door slowly slides away as it reveals what’s inside. “Done, go in now.” Kawase spoke, “And make sure you—and—– —— keep ———“

“Kawase?” Hikae called back to him, but the transmitter has gone static, pushing the transmitter on her ear close to hear clearly. “I can’t hear you—“

“Hel—Hika——can’t hear———malfunction———“

 

Bzzzzzt—

The transmitter abruptly went off, leaving no chance for her to hear what was he trying to say. For now, she had to keep focusing on the mission by her own. Taking out the knife from the garter behind her shirt, gripping it with full determination to face what’s coming to her next. Walking upfront with the knife hidden behind her, an intense instinct set in motion.

 

A room filled with an atmosphere you can spell as menacingly mysterious, machines and control panels surrounded the whole sector unit as how every labs were shown in movies. Eyeing around the coast, making sure that no hindrance is present…unless, there were no people inside.

Strange, she thought. However, it’s odd that no person would be here. This is a specialized restricted sector, right? Then, how is it that the room had no population in charge? Could this mostly be a trap set by ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’?

Impossible, if they wanted to do that, they could’ve tried harder than this tasteless scheme. The way they threaten Hikae with a file consisting full detail on her tracks as **Silent Killer Rei** , and they even sent a ridiculous amount of money just for this case to spark light in succession. They wouldn’t joke or prank her this far, she knows that.

Ignoring the distracting technologies surrounding her, roaming around in wary to fully comprehend the area. Frankly technologies like these seems too futuristic and complicated, it was basely to be used for experts and professionals she thought.

The whole almost circular room emphasizes her to investigate on full approach, but she has no time for that. As what ' ** _Anomaly_** ' had mentioned; to rescue a hostage on sector unit-07—but, since no one’s present at the time…who and where is the hostage at?

 

Needing clues and hints to find the hostage, she quickly approached the control panel. It was designed mostly for laboratory uses like mechanics or machinery, whatever it’s for. Staring at each buttons, levers, and switches with blinking lights, too bad she had never seen any kind of advanced technologies like these, so she wouldn’t understand.

Hikae sighed, guess she did overestimated this mission. Things would’ve gotten easier if Kawase’s around, but relying too much would make her dim and useless. Continuingly inspecting the whole panel boards for clues, and—

Her eyes were glued by the light of a screen above her. It was sheer white, but quickly channels into a clearer image; in a wide open room with nothing but white surroundings, a small bed and someone is sitting on the bed in a fetal position.

“Is that the hostage?” Hikae asks herself. There’s no need to check on the screen anymore, what she has to do now is to find that hostage, they could be nearby. But where?

Recalling back the map of the ‘secret lab’, ‘restricted area’ and ‘special permission’. Awakening her hidden sleuth and kept thinking of those contrived words having a connection with each other—and found out a crucial detail of what ' ** _Anomaly_** ' had previously mentioned;

 

* * *

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: If you’re asking why; I want you to seek out the true meaning of ‘ **hope** ’_.’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: My intent is to seek the ‘ **truth** ’. The whole ‘ **truth** ’ of Hope’s Peak Academy’s ‘ **hope** ’._’

* * *

 

It looks like everything that had occurred might had to do something with ‘ _hope_ ’. Looks like this hostage isn’t just any ordinary hostage—they’re the ‘ _hope_ ’ that ' ** _Anomaly'_** mentioned. Everything has narrowed down to the final piece of contribution; this mission is to expose the ‘ _truth_ ’ of the ‘ _hope_ ’ relating to Hope’s Peak Academy.

And by truth, the true harbinger of the ultimate hope.

Widening her eyes faintly, she finally understood the whole thing clearly. This mission, the ridiculous amount of fee, rescuing a hostage with full details of where they are located, this mysterious lab, everything related to Hope’s Peak…

This mission is in order—in order to destroy Hope’s Peak Academy’s hope once and for all.

That’s the revenge they sought, the perfect crime in the name of malice.

That enough managed to make her acknowledged the whole situation, she was played into pulling one of the strings in order to fulfill an extremist’s revenge plan. It’s not like she expected that to come across her mind, what makes her interested in how much they wanted to destroy Hope’s Peak.

Aside from that, pushing away her assumption and kept going to find the hostage. Viewing the entire area of where they could be, using her instinct to trace down the room they might be in here. Her eyes narrowed down towards the circular wall, it looks like the shape is enough to make a big room for someone inside.

Walking closer to the metallic wall, tapping and rubbing if should there be any hidden entrance—

 

Beep—

The moment her palm touched an invisible sensor unknowingly, the door slowly slides up. Much to her surprise, she uncovered a hidden room. A blinding light made her to squint her eyes a little, but to no hesitation felt, she marches forward.

 

* * *

Beyond the door as it slides back down, closing the traces of her being outside the secret room, the light reverts back into a docile intensity and her eyes blinking just to make sure of her view in correction. It was just another white room with a small bed, the hostage sitting facing the opposite direction—

—with wires strapped into their skin, piercing behind the neck, arms and legs. A large machine with a fairly large cable dug onto their back.

It is bizarrely inhumane of how much pain they had been inflicted with.

 

Hikae stood in silence, she wasn’t mesmerized by the grotesque imagery of this implantation machinery, neither speechless about if this person was really the hope of Hope’s Peak, rather she wanted to know who this person is.

Without aware, unconsciously moving an inch. She was about to back away but far too late, as her step landed down onto the floor with a brief thump for both of them to hear.

The hostage heard, and slowly turned around facing their visitor. Medium length hazelnut hair taken to no care, pale blue shimmering eyes glued onto the assassin’s magenta eyes, fair skin with slender build injected with painful lab equipment with white long pants, barefooted.

Locking gazes at each other, before succumbing down into a question of theirs.

 

“ _Who…are you?_ ”

 

* * *

Chapter 3; **_end._**

 

**_ To be continued. _ **


	5. Innocent Ambiguity

White.

The colorless white reflecting everywhere.

A pure color, denounce from dark and dirty colors. The color of the illuminated light.

Yet he grew tired of it.

 

Seeing everything surrounded by nothing, just white and machines plunging into his body. It was like he was born a captive. Constantly unmoved from the white sheets above a soft white mattress, wires and a large cable piercing his back skin, a windowless room with no sense of life.

The scientists explained how he got here; he was born into this lab and to become ‘ _hope_ ’.

Every single moment of the day he came here, he remembered it so well and clear.

 

* * *

 

It was cold and damp. Clouded with darkness folding his sights. Feeling nothing. That kind of surrounding would make any paranoia burst out.

But this time, it wasn’t paranoia which came out. It was something else, it’s neither hope or despair, or the feeling of emptiness. But—

The feeling of simply being alive.

Hearing distant mumbles of people, 4 or 6 of them. He can barely hear or see or feel, as the sound of heartbeats slowly resonated, he began to open his eyes from his deep slumber.

The moment he saw the light, blurry scenery projecting within a light green sea—or mostly to be a capsule entrapping him inside. The sound of the watery liquid echoes around his ears, stealth breathing made bubbles to appear. Oddly, he can still breathe underwater.

“He has awaken at last.” A man spoke with a clear voice, eyeing on whose inside the capsule. That’s all he could hear for now, he wanted to ask them although he couldn’t speak because of why. Moving his mouth, shoving in every ounce of energy to speak or to move, he can’t.

Where is he? What happened to him? Who is he?

The questions swirling in his head were all gasping desperately for answers, screaming in deep silence. Nonetheless, conveying formless words, but those people ignored him and kept on with their ongoing business.

“He shall be the new ‘ _hope_ ’ to symbolize the true reign of ‘ _talents_ ’.”

Talents? For what? He barely can’t speak, but he heard it well. Even if he tries to understand, it’s futile. He can’t even remember who or where he is, no recollection of any reprised memories.

 

“For now, let’s keep the ‘ _hope_ ’ intact.”

 

Beep-beep—

The sound of machine running, like blowing a steam out off the systems. It’s all directed towards the capsule he was in, and slowly, the liquefied matters drained down until there’s all air around. The whole capsule opened its lid and slides away to free him.

Finally he was allowed to breath the oxygen freely, drenched in those watery liquid and slowly fell down onto his knees. The temperature around him was cold, of course, he hugged himself with shivering by the cold.

“Are you able to understand us?”

A scientist spoke, walking in front of his as the boy looked upwards to see who. He was kneeling down, clueless, and lost. But kept listening, and nodded.

The scientist, with a cold glare, devoid of any life and emotion, spoke. “You are now known as ‘ _hope_ ’, your only existence is to be the source of ‘ _talents_ ’ and hope, to bring a new era where you will lead the entire Hope’s Peak Academy. And to achieve the title of the true ‘ _Ultimate Hope_ ’.”

‘ _Ultimate Hope_ ’, he says. The only sole reason for him to continue on living just for that only purpose. That was the duty he was given.

 

* * *

 

To this very present, he sighed and rolled himself to face the other side of the bed. Hardly, the wires and cable stuck onto his body prevented him from moving freely as what he would’ve want, only to come across a limited space from the bed.

It didn’t bother him.

It didn’t hurt him.

To think of that so naturally, how long has he been trapped in here? Treated like a treasure instead of a living being?

He never thought of that, whether if he was alive or dead. It didn’t matter.

With those wires strapped onto his entire skin, it was filled with nutrients, supplements, and medicines for him to stay healthy and energized. But due to that, he wasn’t able to feel any warmth, cold, sickness, or itches ever since.

Completely abnormal.

“It’s time for my checkup soon.” As he sat up, staring at nothing but the white wall in front of him. By checkup, that means examination. And by examination, it means more and more medicine if they necessarily needed it.

For normal people, they would get overdosed. But thanks to the experts with medicines and the machines, it provided him with safety.

He never wanted this.

To be trapped in this lab, to be treated like a doll for experiments, to be ‘ _hope_ ’—

“I want to get out soon—“

“—from here.”

 

* * *

 

Beep—

As the door slides away, he knew what was awaiting. A thump was heard, and he proceeded to look back for the next examination—

Unless, that wasn’t what he thought.

A girl, her white hair is tied down into twintails with red pins on her left bangs, magenta eyes filled with a fiery determination, wearing a black jersey with black shorts up to her thighs, knee-length white shocks and red converse.

It was an unnatural moment for them two, looking into each other before comprehending the whole situation into one.

Before asking anything else, he replied back the silence; “Who…are you?”

The girl replied back with no modesty showed, “It’s irrelevant, I need to know who you are first.” She coldly states.

“Me? I’m ‘ _hope_ ’.”

She kept looking at him, looking unamused. “I mean by your name.”

“—name? Um…” as he struggled, trying to recall back something important. How is it that he doesn’t remember his own name? Is it amnesia? And he hurried down to pick something from under the bed.

She looked confused, and asking, “What are you doing?”

Retrieving a book from under the bed, flipping the pages to find the correct one. “My name…my name is…”

“You don’t remember your name?” she asks, it was the first time she found a person who doesn’t even remember their names. Of all missions, this is her first one.

The boy found the page he was looking for, and showed her the notes. “This is my name, miss!”

The young girl inspected closer, and scanned down his name in every word.

Kagami Yuuki.

 

“Yuuki…so that’s your name.” she was affirmed with satisfaction. “How come you couldn’t remember your own name?” she asks.

Shaking his head, he answers. “I was never given a name. The laboratory never even called me by any names. They would only call me ‘ _hope_ ’.”

“’ _Hope_ ’?” and with her serious gaze, she scanned his entire body that was filled with wires and a large cable onto his back. “Looks like you are the hostage the ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’ was looking for.”

“’ ** _Anomaly_** ’?” he asks, dumbstruck. “I’ve never heard of being a hostage of—“

The girl dug out her knife, “I’ll explain later.” And approached the boy, preparing to cut off the wires away. Still, she’s pretty surprised that he doesn’t react of her digging her knife out and approached him that suddenly. It seems…very dismissive for a certain innocence.

That boy—Yuuki, felt as some chance was given. If this his ticket to the way of getting out of this white room? That’s hope, the hope he had been longing for. Just for himself. “Are you trying to free me from here, miss?”

“Don’t call me miss, my name’s Hikae.” She bluntly said, cutting the wires one by one, she couldn’t pull out the wires without warning or something drastic might happen to him. So she only cut off the wires to a certain measure, and the contents were all flowing out to dirty the sheet.

Learning her name, he said so ever politely. “Hikae-san, are you freeing me from here?” he asked.

“Yeah, keep still.” As Hikae kept cutting the wires attached on his body.

“I see, even though I lived here all my entire life, I want to be free instead of being treated like an experimental ‘ _hope_ ’.” He said with a melancholy tone.

Hikae turned slow on cutting the wires away, and looked at him, smiling with a burden hidden on his chest. She could tell just by looking, and asked for more. “For how long?”

“I don’t know.” He said.

“Why are you here?” She asks.

“I was born here to become ‘ _hope_ ’.”

“Just for that?”

“Yes.”

 

To imagine someone living all his entire life being secluded from society, and to be used just for the sake of ‘ _hope_ ’, and to keep on living his for the rest of his life…she couldn’t empathize with that even if she tried.

She asked something irrelevant again, “Is it lonely?”

Surprisingly, he shook his head. “I don’t feel lonely thanks to Professor!”

“Professor?”

Recalling back to his old tale before, “Yes, the Professor would always check up on me, and taught me a lot of things about the outside world! How people communicate, how people eat and drink, how people do shopping, and many things! So, I don’t feel very lonely at all!” he smiled, regaining his small happiness.

That’s likely to be uplifting, at least. “You sure are happy with the Professor, huh?”

Yuuki nodded. “Of course, he was very gentle and kind. He even gave me this name, too!” he kept going on and on about the Professor, even if Hikae didn’t really ask for much details about him.

Hikae was almost going for the last wire, “Where’s your Professor at now? Shouldn’t he be coming here to check up on you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

As she successfully cuts every wires entangling him, and now is up to the large cable from the machine above, strapping him from moving freely. This will take almost a long time than she’d ever expected.

Yuuki, continuing what he was talking about before, “He suddenly disappeared, and the other scientists said that he retired.”

“That suddenly?”

“Yes, I don’t know why.”

“There has to be a reason, he wouldn’t quit this kind of job that easily.” Thinking of how she can get him out from the cable, her knife isn’t enough to cut through it swiftly. “Don’t be down about it, he’ll be okay.”

“You really think so, Hikae-san?” with a glimmering radiance of hope in his eyes. And she nodded back, leaving a smile of hope in him. “Thank you for that reassurance.”

As that well said, Hikae thought of an idea. Maybe disabling the machine would let the cable loose, and eyed onto the machine above, with the cable and wires clinging on. The machine might have been Yuuki’s source of life treatment, what could possibly happen when it got loose away from him?

But, that might been irrelevant right now.

“Say, you know how that machine works?” Hikae asks, narrowing down to the boy right next to her.

That said, looking up to the machine, he replied, “That machine? I’m not sure, let me take a look.” As he kept his eyes focused onto the machine for about seconds. Those intensive glare makes him look like someone’s studying a subject for a test.

After a moment of briefly waiting, “…well?”

“There’s a component there you need to destroy, by removing the CPU and hardware first. Alternately, you can dismantle the processor, turning off the heatsink and hijack the brainware, then go and—“

By the sound of him talking, he even sounds more like a living textbook. But, if he knew that much, why couldn’t he dismantle it himself? That’s quite the contradiction, Hikae thought. She’d never imagine that this hostage can be very intelligent on matters like machinery.

The only one she would mostly rely on mechanics and programs would be Kawase, but he got cut off. “Even if you say that so easily, I can’t even understand a single word.”

Yuuki paused and turns to her. “But isn’t it standard subjects for a high schooler? Hikae-san looks so much like a high schooler, so I thought that you might be able to understand.” He said so nonchalantly.

All through her years, she never went to school before. Her parents even couldn’t afford themselves to bring her to school, nor hiring a private tutor. So she’s basically a human killing machine without proper education, turned into an adult without any fond memories.

“Hikae-san?”

Noticing that she was spacing out, Yuuki called back to her with his gentle voice. Regaining her composure away from the past. “Never mind. Then can you disable it off instead?” narrowing up to the machine. Both looks up to the machine with conspicuous gazes.

“I think I can.” He said with a weak determination. “But how will I get up there?” he asked.

Hikae thought the same too, it will delay a lot of time into hijacking the machine into bits. She gives up the idea and thought of a newer and less tricky one. “In any case, it will take too long to solve up this puzzle. I’m on my mission here, and time’s ticking.”

“Mission? To free me?” as he caught up onto the main point. Hikae nodded and readied her knife in hand. Asking, with a mild curiosity, “What are you going to do?”

“Turn around.”

“Eh?”

“Do it, unless you want to be free.”

Her sharp words was enough to comprehend him into doing her bidding. He turned around, displaying a large cable dug onto his back. The look upon closer inspection of how his skin was thrust with sharp needles and how he’s able to endure it.

Nonetheless, the assassin began to walk closer to him and—

Stab!

The cable sparks light of electricity the moment when she stabbed the cable with a sharp tip like it was nothing. Then she began to move it back and forth to cut down the cable completely. With every single might she has, she had to consider it done against the time.

“Hold still.” She warned, as she worked her way to finally let go of this mysterious young man. Before letting him to speak, she asks out of ordinary; “These wires and this cable, doesn’t it hurt you?” she said.

Yuuki looked down, he didn’t really expect how she would ask that. Of course, no one really mustered the courage to say that easily. It looks like she was the first one to ask that other than the Professor, who never did.

“To me, pain has always been a routine.” He paused, rendering an innocent smile. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, so I can bare it!” he said, childlike but is very vague on interpreting of how far he will bear all the pain he had.

Hikae couldn’t really understand why he endured all of this, if it was so painful, he could’ve just cry and beg for mercy, right? It makes him look so…unnatural. Does being sheltered here for the rest of your life can make people look very pure and odd?

“You’re weird, Yuuki. I don’t get you.” she proclaimed sarcastically, but hides a fascination towards him.

“Really? Do you think I’m weird?” he said, asking like a small child without his awareness of the air around him.

Averting his tame-looking face, she nodded. “Yeah, definitely.”

 

Snap!

With the cable mostly cut away from his back, he was able to go freely as he’d like. The cable tumbles down into the floor, and at disbelief, he began to touch the cable of his back seemingly so transparent. But all he was touching is air.

“Is this…really—“

“I cut most of the cable, there’s still the chunk left.” She said, seeing a small part of the cable is still plugged onto his back. “It’ll be a bother to get it long, so—“

Before Hikae could finish her sentence, she was greeted with a sudden clasp of both his hands. Surprisingly, it was cold at first, but turns into warmth. A hopeful smile of his gazes towards her fully, showering with a gratitude.

“Thank you so much, Hikae-san! Thank you!” he said, indebted by her.

Hikae can only stand in bewilderment, with her hands feeling the strange warmth of a fellow stranger, and even thanking an assassin with a bloody history, she felt out of place. Like, a dilemma or something.

As she spaced out again, she goes back into reality. “Huh—oh, yeah sure.” Unsure about how she had to react, until—

 

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP—

As the sound of siren barges into uninvited, leaving the two to process the admitting shock. The alarm kept running around, signaling the next strike they had to offer.

“Tch, looks like we’ve been caught.” Hikae grumbled. Understandingly why would she be grumbling at the time like this, she wasted a lot of time to complete her sole and important mission that may render her safety, but now when it has come to this…

“What should we do?” Yuuki asks as he is fully involved with this. “The scientists will be coming here soon.” He said.

Listening to the brief information he has given, she recalled that the ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’ requested to destroy this facility. But never said that she could kill the people that resides here.

 

As her instincts grew more dependent of her blood lust, she had to.

Leaving no trail of suspects, leaving no clue behind,

Destroy.

Destroy everything.

That’s how an assassin like her survive.

 

“Kill them.” She coldly stated, and brandishes her knife in hand to kill them. Not even a speck of humanity traced over her, like a complete human killing machine. Ignoring the fact that someone’s watching over her, it was probably not the best idea yet she knew all along.

Hearing footsteps almost running their way to the room, Hikae puts on a deathful glare preparing to strike any minute.

Until—

“…don’t.”

By that lone soft word, snapping her back onto her usual sanity. Looking back, she grew intimidated by his voice of reasoning, like how can he even understand the whole situation if they don’t do anything?

A slight of anger came across her mind with limited time left, “Then do you want to get trapped here for the rest of your life again?” she ranted, but slowly calmed down as she looked deeper into his eyes, shining vibrantly contrasting to hers.

“Killing is bad. That’s what the Professor once told me, so don’t do it, Hikae-san.” He said, like words forming from a small child with little knowledge of the wide world. Pure from any evil.

 

Sighing, before reaching to any conclusion, the scientists were already there. “Who are you?!” one of them shouted, with their lab coats representing their employment here.

“An intruder?! What have you done to the ‘ _hope_ ’!” the second one commented.

Flash steps goes forth, she began to use her arms and legs to combat the scientists. Subduing them into a realm of unconsciousness.

With knowledge of melee combat, she jumped to deal a blow to one of them by the head. Knocking one down, and was surrounded with the other ones which are still conscious. Landing down and does a spinning wheel to knock their guard down, and leaving them falling into pain.

By that amount of time, she quickly takes off her jersey, revealing her white shirt underneath, and robes down Yuuki’s exposed upper body as a little protection, proceeding to grab his arm firmly. “We’re getting out of here, stat.”, pulling him along into her play.

Among those lines, there lies hope. Even if she’s not aware, she unconditionally gave the caged bird the hope he had always longed for.

As the moment of the escaped revelation returns—

Thud!

Hikae turns back to him, “Yuuki!” as he fell onto the ground, his feet shaking uncontrollably.

Getting into desperate measures to get up and walk, he fails every round. “I-I’m sorry—“

The girl came to check up onto his for any malfunction happening in his blood circuits. “You okay? Does it hurt?” she asked, overcoming the possibility that the wires and cable served as his life support. Or could it be…

“I’m sorry, Hikae-san. Actually, I—“, he said, a face felt with unease.

Hikae answered shortly, “Is it the wires? Or the cable? You’re dying—“

“—I can’t walk at the moment.” Replying back to her with an awkward smile.

“………………………..”

 

 

* * *

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”

 

The assassin ran, carrying the luggage onto her back, more like luggage; a boy wearing the same jersey she wore before. Clinging tight onto her back as she ran through the hallway and avoiding combats. Due to her hands are used to carry his balance.

Every second and everything in this mission gets too reckless, even the signal is still jammed while she tries to contact Kawase. Like she would have expected that, of course, talk about underestimating a mission, lesson learned.

Looking back at Yuuki, he’s gripping tight onto her makes it feel more awkward than usual. “You’re trapped in here for so long and you’ve forgotten how to walk!” she complained, knowing it won’t change the fact that they’re in a rush right now.

“I said _at the moment_ , I might be able to run or walk with my own two feet soon!” Yuuki said, not helping the situation that much.

Groaning, she kept running and running to find the exit. The one with the unconscious guard, that’s her destination.

“Hey, come back here!” a scientist caught up to them, chasing them down. A click through the tongue, she runs even faster than before.

Running through hallways, left, right, north, south, everywhere. In order to stall time until Kawase’s back on track. She ran and ran, and kept doing that for how many times. And they managed to find a secure spot with the others trying to find them.

Dropping the boy down, she catches her breath and rests shortly. “What a drag…” she groaned.

“Sorry, I must be very heavy.”

“That’s not the point, you were light as heck. Like you were starting off a diet.”

“What’s diet?”

“…forget it.”

Both of those fugitives started a small talk for a second, and she continued back onto retrieving signal from her transmitter. It was still static, nonetheless, it would take time to get a full signal ahead. What may have caused to jam the signal?

“Not good, I can’t reach him.” Hikae spoke, sighing in a lonesome rant.

Yuuki asks, “Who are you contacting?”

She replied, “A colleague of mine, I guess.”

Before she even knew it, she sat down to rest her legs after all that running. In mind, she thought of asking him few questions regarding his life in here and himself. “Say, Yuuki.”

“Yes?”

“You’re, uh, why did you stop me back then? _Killing is bad_ …what did the Professor told you before?” she asked, looking at him with discerning eyes.

“Oh, back then?” he said, thinking. “It came out naturally the moment I saw your eyes. They were cold and soulless, it felt empty in nothingness but pure hollow and malice.”

“…I see.” She replied, with an expected look.

“But! The Professor told me that; even if people did bad things, as long as they won’t do it anymore, everything will be okay!” he continued. “That’s why, I think that Hikae-san still has a chance to not kill!” he said, with a hopeful smile.

Wavered by his so called innocence, “You take it so seriously, it won’t happen that easily.” She said, sarcastically.

Laughing it off, “You think so? But, miracles can happen if you believe in yourself.” He said.

“Right.”

All those kind words he said to her, it felt somehow warm and fulfilling. Something she never receive before, this is her first time sharing kind thoughts to some stranger.

After a moment of momentary silence, she gets up and is ready to run back. Not before that, she gazes back to the hostage. “Well, do you think you can run?”

He nodded, trying to stand up as well. Surprisingly, he perfectly stood up like nothing was wrong. Contrasting the previous time he was all sluggish with his feet and all. “See? I can!” showing his small pride like a little kid.

“You’re too over exaggerating.” She said with a rude remark. Now that’s all done—

“There they are! Capture them!” the scientists managed to track their location, with such angry and hysteric faces, it was obvious they were enraged over to the ‘hope’ escaping.

“Tch.” She clicked her tongue, and grabs something out of her pocket. Needles. And throws them straight, aiming at their arms and legs.

“Aagh—!!”

Blood spurts everywhere, slowly their resistance and agility down to a minus. It was perfect to distract them while Hikae and Yuuki might run away in ease. And they did, running away from them.

“Don’t let them escape…!” as one of the scientists said, holding his arm whilst the blood dripping down to the white floor.

 

Tap tap tap tap—

The sound of footsteps echoed around.

“What now, Hikae-san?”

Both the girl and the boy are running to avoid the mob chasing behind them, even with such speed, they have to excess their energy up. It wasn’t an easy task to keep their stamina in check.

“Hold up, hand in there first. I’m picking up a signal!”

Beep-beep-beep!

“————Hikae——I’m jacking in—Hello? You can hear me, right!?” as the signal retrieved back the caller into the oncoming source. “What the hell’s going on?”

“Kawase, hack in the bombs now!” Hikae spouted.

“Now—NOW?!” he said, in disbelief after that sudden separation. “Hold up, you’re almost done?”

“Hurry up, you idiot!” she said, almost reaching for the main door to the basement.

“Ugh, fine.” Kawase said in distress. Tapping down the keyboard and hijacking into the self-destruct sequence, setting for a countdown. “Make damn fucking sure you’re surviving this, you bitch.”

 

* * *

 

Click.

 

Simple tap was enough to summon a mechanical robotic voice in command-mode.

 

“Self-destruct sequence will begin. Starting 1…”

 

Run.

 

“…2…”

 

Keep running.

 

“…3…”

 

Don’t stop. Don’t look back.

 

“…4…”

 

Get through that door and it’ll be all over.

 

“…5…”

 

 

—SLAM!

 

 

Then, a large impact was felt. A blinding light enraptured them both, and knocked them away from the basement door.

That mission, was over, at last.

 

* * *

Chapter 4; **_end._**

 

**_ To be continued. _ **


	6. Unceremonious Resolution

 

…………………

“…..ngh……”

In the darkness, she woke up, putting herself together. A flinch of a headache aches on the back of her head. Rubbing it off, she questions herself to what happened.

“What…happened…?” she repeated.

She looked up, seeing the light upwards. Remembering how did she ended up here; she found the hostage, ran off together and self-destruct—

That’s right, “Yuuki?” as the moment she recalled back, she got him directly involved with her mess, and looked everywhere within the darkness. And found him, lying unconscious on the ground next to the furnace.

Offering a sign of relief, he’s just fainted. She looked down next to him, the transmitter was badly damaged into pieces. Laying it around would be a bad idea, so she quickly disposed the remaining into the furnace. Burning them into an unrecognizable crisp.

She sighed, and carried him by a piggyback ride, and went upstairs to finally finish this mission once and for all.

She remembered about the guard that was purposefully knocked unconscious in order to pin the major suspicion onto him, closing her case to a solvable one with full ease. Bracing herself, she opened the door and…

It was the same old storage that has been left untouched, unless…

The guard is missing.

“Huh?” Hikae was turned aback, to where the supposed location the guard should be lying down. He wasn’t there, or even present. Did he escaped?

Before continuing to her questions, she slowly heard sirens coming from outside. Like every missions per requests she took, it was mostly a police siren. Looks like the guns are out this time…

But, what could’ve—

Exactly how long was she out for?

* * *

 

She roams around the area, no security guards or even any monitors, Reserve Course’s securities are really that weak and left not much attended. However, it gave her free access to roam outside and escape soon enough, if it’ll be easy.

“You’ve got it all wrong! I didn’t do anything!”

A shriek of a man was heard outside, looks like he was accused of some crime. Hikae and the unconscious Yuuki hides behind the pillars, peaking beyond the main entrance’s door.

A guard, similar as the one she was going to put the blame onto, he was cuffed with handcuffs and struggled between the other two guards who’re handling him at the moment with an iron grip of both sides of his shoulders.

“I told you; I’m innocent! I have nothing to do with this—“, the more he sounded desperate to prove himself not guilty.

The other guard spoke, “Sir, please calm down and restrain yourself!”

The other one too, spoke. “You have no alibi whatsoever, it proves you suspicious to be true.”

Ignoring those two reasoning, he kept dangling under sheer force of breaking free. He kept ranting down. “I swear, I was knocked down! An intruder passed by the faculty office! I swear it with my own eyes!”

This conversation is getting more intense under pressure, she thought. How will she be able to get out if the guards are keeping their own business in shambles without a knack of time? “This is useless…” she groans.

Then suddenly, another one of the security guards came by with a serious smug look. “That’s enough, you two.” He said with a loud and crystal-clear voice.

“S-Sir!” one of the guards replied, this time, it was respect. Both of them let loose of the grip, slightly freeing the defendant.

The looks of that big-built guard makes the air goes intimidating. Hikae slowly described the man as fearsome-looking. With the moon reflected the light; green hair and pink eyes, slightly tanned. Even by the looks of it, he might even crush a skull easily with his bare hands.

“What’s goin’ on here?” he said, showing a brute intimidation of a demanding straight answer coming out of their mouth.

The one guard spoke, “Well, sir…it’s a major problem. We caught this guard passed out at the storage unexpectedly while on duty.” He tapped the accused’s shoulder firmly.

“To add more suspicion, he was assigned to guard the main hallway. By the time he was gone, we inspected the whole area one per one, and found the faculty door was unlocked.” The other testified. “We searched for the items, and found the storage key was missing.”

The accused abruptly rants, “Like I told you before, there’s an intruder! They stole the key and—“

“Shut up or d’you want me to kick your ass?” as the muscular man yelled in a fury. It’s enough to turn the guard into a whining mess. “Continue.”

“R-Right.” Shrugging off the man’s loud and fearless tone. “We soon departed to the storage room, and found him unconscious on the ground. We searched him and found—the storage key, sir.”

“I was framed, I swear! Believe me—“

 

WHACK!

“Guwaaagh—?!!”

Thud!

 

The green haired guard punched the accused through the guts, rendering him down with a spurt of blood through the impact, laying down onto the floor with the arms clutching his stomach. Coughing unbearable towards the excruciating pain inflicted on him.

This guy has shown no mercy.

So much as the other guards feared for their lives, it was a warning by rage.

“You’ve got guts to prove you’re that innocent, huh?” crackling his fists, and grabs the one lying on the ground by the hair. He was trembling in fear and shock, begging for mercy.

“N-No…I won’t—I’m not…”

“Listen up, punk. No matter how much desperate you act, or how much mercy you were granted; there’s no running away from here on out.” He warned clearly. “You’re a suspect here, know your place, you damn shit.”

By those sole words, the man kept glaring like a beast hunting for its prey. The cowering guard trembled before him, sobbing uncontrollably and wasn’t even spared from any dignity. Blood dripping down from his jaw, like representing a humility of a framed up crime. That, only she knows.

Things have turned out way worse for them, Hikae can’t really move around or she’ll end up like him.

 

“Hm? What’s going on here?”

A man walked by the scene, wearing a coat in the middle of the night’s chilly wind. Fixing his glasses and looked around. Seeing the man injured down on the floor, he widened his eyes and came to his aid. “Hey, what on earth—“

“Dr. Chiejima sir, please stand back from the suspect!” the guard spoke.

Chiejima turned to the guard with a worried face, “What? Suspect?”

“Intruding the facility, sir. He was suspected into breaking in.” the other one explained. And lifted him up away from the accused.

“…agh…..it hurts…!” the guard lying down wailed and whined. Chiejima couldn’t even bare himself to ignore his plea.

With a stern look, he attested back. “Just because he is a suspect, don’t you think you went too far?” he warned the three of them. Especially to the one responsible for the assault.

“This has nothin’ to do with you, you’d better get out.” The brute man warned once more, with an annoyed look. “Or else.” He glared.

Chiejima narrowed down his eyes onto the menacing security guard. Not even a shred of fear or cowering bravery is ever appointed, he was aware of how he acts and does things according to his temper with violence.

“As I recall, you’re a reliable security guard Hope’s Peak trusted; Juzo Sakakura, former Ultimate Boxer, am I correct?” Chiejima stated. The man known as Sakakura inclined. “Surely you know better than using brute force to silence this man, does a security guard even does that?”

“Quit your yappin’, he’s a suspect and you’d expect a crime to let loose that easy?” he refuted back by brawns.

Chiejima sighed. “Alright. I’m a member of the Reserve Course facility, as long as I am here, no more violence are prohibited under my supervision.” He said. “You ought to continue investigating for more clues if you want this crime to be solved, whether if he’s really an intruder or not. Got it?”

The two officers understood. “Yes, sir!” simultaneously saying.

“And, one more;” Chiejima pointed down onto the man below. “Can you please aid him first? I think he had enough punching for today.” He sighed with a pity. “And that goes for you, Sakakura-kun.”

Merely annoyed, he can’t defy a faculty member. “Tch, I get it.” Grunting in a rude manner. “You there, get this man some aid-kit. I’m goin’ to investigate.” He quickly went inside the building, followed by a guard to accompany.

Hikae hides in the shadows to avoid getting seen. They passed, and soon dismissed away from her sight. Of course, the other guard helped the accused away from the entrance. Far, far away.

 

* * *

 

As both of the guards parted ways, Chiejima looked back, expecting something—someone hiding. With a non-amused face, he fazes down a judging look.

“You can come out now, Rin-chan.”

Soon after the moment he said that, she slowly walked outside and approached the doctor. “I’m surprised that you’re here. What were you even doing this late?”

“I forgot that I left my keys on the office desk, so I rushed back to get them.” He explained. “Although, I was NOT expecting a ruckus tonight. Ruins the atmosphere, to be honest.”

Upon closer inspection, Chiejima noticed a boy clinging onto her back, sleeping. He still wore the jersey she wore before, without zipping it to cover his exposed chest. It took a time of procession into figuring out what was on.

He pointed down to the boy behind her, “Your boyfriend?”

“Not even funny, old man.” Coldly replied, she looks far more annoyed hearing that.

“Joking, joking.” He relents back. “So, your mission’s done, and what now?” he asks, free of charge.

Slowly, her sights went blurry, and felt dizzy. “Not good…I…can’t…” she felt exhausted, and slowly, gently, painlessly, drifted off into a period of slumber. Falling, collapsing into Chiejima’s sudden grip. Along with Yuuki falling onto him.

“W-Woah—Hey!” Chiejima catches them both, but wasn’t able to stabilize his balance. Leaving no answer from the assassin and the mysterious boy, he was left alone to think for himself. “Rin-chan, wake up! How am I supposed to go home with you two—huh?”

With his grip against Yuuki’s back, he catches on something hard and solid. Inspecting it by first touch, and feeling it to be…odd. Something was placed onto him, as he would even guessed it.  

 

Sliding down the back of the jersey, he saw—a cable plug stuck onto his back, with the cable line was cut into a short line.

“What the—who is this man?” he said, bewildered.

By the time the clock has passed by midnight, all that waits was dawn.

 

 

 

* * *

Chapter 4.5; ** _end._**

 

**_ To be continued. _ **


	7. Implacable Truth

 

_The last thing I remembered about my parents before they died,_

_Was how they gave me their last kindness._

_At first, I didn’t understand what they were saying._

_So I pretended not to hear, playing deaf and clueless._

_Although that was just a cruel vicious lie._

_What they said to me was;_

_“—the day you were born.”_

_And slowly, dyed altogether with the color of demise._

 

 

* * *

 

“Hey, wake up—wake up, Hikae!”

“…..?”

The white haired girl slowly woke up, blinking in 2 seconds before a clearer image progresses to her eyesight. The smell of anesthesia dissolves everywhere into air, the room was brightened with white walls. A small TV was placed by the wall inches in front of her, the air conditioner made the room feel much colder than usual.

Where is she anyway?

After her last blink, she slowly narrowed down to the person calling her name. Turning her head to her right, Kawase was there sitting next to her. She noticed that she’s laying down on a bed, wrapped up in a cozy blanket.

“Are you okay?” Kawase asks belligerently, a worried look formed on his face. Plastered with a genuine worry and weariness.

Murmuring to form clear words, “Kawa…se?” she said, rather weakly.

He sighed, and flops down. “Thank God you’re okay.” He said with a relieved tone. “I can’t believe you fainted that easily after the mission.”

“…huh?” Hikae said with a question mark. She didn’t even realized for how long she was out, only to detail out that morning has arrived.

Kawase explained, “Right after the mission’s completed, you passed out on Chiejima’s watch.” And continued. “You brought along the hostage too.” Mentioning about Yuuki. “Since the hostage is clearly unconscious at the moment, we have to take proof of the evidence later.”

That’s right, she immediately recalled back to her mission. Infiltrate the lab, rescue the hostage, frame the crime, and suddenly blacked out when Chiejima arrives.

“Where—“

The editor took notice of her question, and replied. “You’re in the hospital, Chiejima took you here. Looks like he often works here on weekends.” He stated.

“How did you know that…?” Hikae asks whilst she rests on the bed.

“Just a hunch.” He said. “Kidding, he told me.” A straight face with a joking mind.

“Oh.”

She slowly sat up and holds up her head, it appears that she’s fatigue from all of the work piled onto her. Having 7 requests really does tire her down, her job is a busy business so far as she claims. That doesn’t stop her from doing her best to achieve them.

“By the way, Chiejima said that you’re fine, just a little tired.” Kawase said, playing with his phone. “And he said; make sure that _Rin-chan_ gets plenty of rest and don’t skip meals.” He continued.

“Don’t call me by that name, it’s uncomfortable.” Hikae mentioned, giving a begrudging look to her colleague.

“Who? _Rin-chan_?” Kawase repeated.

“…” she sighs, and woke up from the bed. Stretching her arms and legs. “I don’t feel any comfortable if I just stand here, I need to take a walk.” Hikae said.

The copper haired boy nodded without his eyes paneling away from the screen. “If you’re gonna look for Chiejima, he’s around the emergency area on the 3rd floor to the right.”

Hikae walks to the door, not before asking one more question; “What floor is this?”

Kawase gave a peace sign, signaling 2. They’re currently in the second floor. She takes note of that and left the room.

 

* * *

Upon closing the door, she was greeted with passersby roaming around the halls. Nonetheless, she completely ignores them and set off to see Chiejima on the 3rd floor. Passing through the halls, rooms and eventually climbs up the stairs.

She arrived on the 3rd floor, looking to the right, there’s a panel with a no entry sign above. That could be the emergency area Kawase refers to. But a nurse is watching over the area over the counter next to the emergency area’s door. Hikae walks up to her, faking a smile.

“Excuse me.” Hikae politely says. “I’m here to see Dr. Chiejima, ma’am.”

The nurse took notice and smiled back. “Do you have any appointment, miss?”

Hikae nodded.

“One minute, I’ll call the doctor for you.” she immediately phoned Chiejima through the phone, awaiting his response.

She waited and waited, until the nurse hears the voice of the man. “Hello, sir. There’s a guest waiting for you outside the emergency area.” She pauses and listens. “Will do, sir.” And puts down the phone right at its place.

The nurse replied back to the awaiting guest in front of her. “Dr. Chiejima will be coming shortly, please wait shortly.”

Hikae nodded and smiled as always with the façade. “Thanks, ma’am!” she thanked the nurse. With an answer of a slight bow from the nurse for the service.

She sat down on the seat next to the nearby rooms, not far from the emergency area. And checks her phone, with the estimated time of 11:29 AM. She really slept quite long enough. Speaking of her age, every high schooler would miss their education or even goof off this time around. But fortunately, she doesn’t have any school to go to, or even any education to inherit.

How lucky she is, everyone might thought. No parents to scold her, no homework for her to do, she’s free to roam around all she want. Even though she never really roams around freely, she’s only doing her mission on assassination and infiltration, no less.

Hikae knew that she had no purpose left other than to live for kill. How she discovered her talent happened around the time her parents’ deaths. Those memories reciprocated well in her mind, playing round and round like a stereo record.

That feeling of blood splattering around her innocent little mind.

That feeling of losing someone whom she bonded close with.

That feeling of remorse, to what they were going to say—

 

Clack—

As the door opens, a familiar man with grey hair with his specs came out of the room. His green eyes narrowed down to the nurse that’s working at the counter. Hikae turns to them from the distance, seeing them talking briefly and the nurse guides his attention towards the girl waiting for him—Hikae herself.

They both appointed gentle smiles to each other and parted ways, only for a short stop around 8 steps from the counter. Both finally met, between an assassin and an elder doctor.

“Yo, feeling well yet?” he greeted casually.

Hikae responded, “Yeah, sort of.” Looking away from locking gazes to each other.

He suddenly chuckled. “Sort of? Is that a way to thank your savior?” he said jokingly.

“…thank you for yesterday.” Hikae shuffled her head to the side, converting her usual attitude into a formal one all of the sudden. She really dislikes having to owe a favor to someone, even if the said person always aids her when the time is needed.

“Much better.” He softly pats her head, much to her chagrin and confusion towards his eccentric kindness. He stops. “So, what do you need?” he asks, expecting a good answer out of her.

That’s right, she was going to ask something.

She spoke, “How’s Yuuki? Is he alright?” she said. That somehow sounds like she’s worried over him like a parent to a child, even though she needed him to be in a well state if she’s going to proof that she succeeded the ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’’s mission.

“Yuuki,” Chiejima pondered, “Oh, you mean that boy from yesterday?” he finally recalled back to the former. “You’re worried about your boyfriend that much, huh?”

Twitching her eye, she grew displeased by his old jokes. “Say that again and I’ll shave your head bald.” She threatened, with a scale of a vicious intent.

“If you do, how will my wife and son react?” he begrudgingly whines.

“How should I know? That’s your business.” Hikae relents back with a sarcastic ring.

“Meanie.” Chiejima pouted, yet he decided to brush it off. “If you’re worried about Yuuki-kun, you should probably go and check first.” He said. “Follow me.” And he walks towards the emergency area, along with Hikae following him, side by side.

 

* * *

Walking through the corridors, inevitably preparing to see what’s coming. Both Hikae and Chiejima stops by a certain room with an entry number unit-05. Hikae notices a window and slowly took a peek inside.

Lying on the bed with an IV strapped onto his right hand, she can briefly see him wearing a light green hospital gown, and the rest of his lower body is covered by a soft white blanket. Sleeping tenderly and peacefully, she thought.

“He really sleeps like an angel, don’t you think?” Chiejima teased, much to Hikae’s chagrin.

Giving an eerie annoyed look, she was set on kicking his back…but she doesn’t want to cause a commotion. “And should I even be amazed by it?”

The elder man thinks, “Maybe~?” he said with a cheeky grin.

“I don’t even understand why your wife would marry you.” she said, with a sarcastic tone.

“You just struck a nerve—“, Chiejima said, “Well, she’s married to me because she loves me dearly! How’s that for a perfect statement?”

“Whatever.” She groans.

As the doctor recovered from his attacked ego, he slowly pats her back for her to enter the room. “You might want to go in, he might be all confused in there alone. So, best of luck to accompany him!” he cheered, and walks away.

Hikae turns to him, saying, “Where are you going?” she asks.

“Calling Wataru-kun to accompany, of course.” He said, slowly disappeared after he closed the emergency entrance door.

The moment after he’s left, she calmly enters the room without a hitch.

 

When she finally enters, she took a clear good view of the hostage, resting. Every drip of the IV’s bag containing a life persevering liquid and transfusing it into his body by the hand. Hikae found a stool chair next to his bed and sat down, awaiting his conscious to come back.

The assassin wonders of the events happening yesterday. That sole kindness and purity…for what and why did he gave her that?

How is she supposed to reciprocate in him owing her rescue mission?

That, she wonders.

 

* * *

_I don’t remember where I was._

_I can’t remember who I am._

_I even don’t understand why I am alive._

_One thing I know for sure was…_

_“Do you have a name?” a gentle voice once spoke._

_I firmly shook my head, it’s not like I remembered it or wanting a name before in my life._

_I am ‘ **hope** ’._

_A ‘ **hope** ’ for the purpose for harboring ‘ **talents** ’._

_Yet I even don’t want to become that way._

_“How about…Yuuki?” as they wrote down the meaning of it._

_To have hope._

_Seeing the word of hope all over again, it’s always the same for me._

_“How about it? What would your name be?” they asked._

_“Yuuki…Kagami, Yuuki.”_

_I am;_

_Kagami Yuuki, the Ultimate ‘ **Hope** ’._

 

* * *

“Nnn…” a soft grunting voice woke up the silent atmosphere away, lying down, he slowly blinks to clear up the view into a visible one. He only looked up into the ceiling, an AC and lights were shown to be properly working as his first scenery.

“You’re awake.” A girl greeted.

Slowly recognizing whom she is, “M…miss Hikae?”

“I told you not to call me miss.” She said, unamused for a first word in succumbing into reality.

Looking around him, he started to question himself and her. “Where are we?”

Hikae replied shortly. “Hospital.”

“Hos…pital…?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know what that is—“, Hikae gave a slight twitch, must she explain for a long time prisoner like him?

Yuuki carefully sat up whilst still wrapped around with a blanket, he finds both his arms were bandaged, and one is strapped with an IV wire. Processing his surrounding and situation, he understands. “Was I injured?”

“Technically, not much. You were unconscious for most of the time since last night. Luckily Chiejima found us and aided us before getting into trouble.” Hikae explained. “If you’re asking, Chiejima’s just someone who knows medic.”

“I see—oh, and about the hospital!” Yuuki suddenly raised his voice in eagerness.

“What?”

“A hospital is a place for sick and injured people to get help from, through the help of professional doctors, nurses and surgeons, they—“

Hikae irked in annoyance, she’s had it ever since yesterday and the previous day after her involvement with the mysterious Anomaly. “Quiet, you talk like a living textbook.”

Bewildered by her sudden words, he ponders for a bit. “But, I’m not a textbook.”

Hikae facepalmed in spite of how his innocent mind is played out like a dense kindergarten kid.

 

* * *

Kawase walked among the patients to quickly reform back to Hikae, guessing that the hostage has woken up. He’d better patch this up before getting into any trouble if he’s tardy. “Let’s see, 3rd floor…3rd floor…” as he mumbled while searching along the way.

Climbing up the hasty stairs, and finally made his way to the 3rd floor. Looking to the right, he saw the emergency area right before him. Not only that, he saw Chiejima—talking to another person.

Kawase approached them, “Chiejima!” as he greeted him, and the supposed person conversing with him.

“Wataru-kun, what are you doing here?” he asks with a smile. “To catch Rin-chan up, I suppose?” he merely guessed.

Kawase nodded, “Yeah.” Before looking at the person who appears the same age as Chiejima. The person noticed that the copper haired boy has been staring at him.

Chiejima took notice too, and decided to introduce them both. “You seem curious about my fellow friend here, would you like to know about him?” he asked.

“Kin’ichirou-kun, who is this young man?” he politely ask.

“He’s a close acquaintance.” Chiejima said.

“I see.” The black haired man with brown eyes replied. “My name is Akihito Sanou, a friend of Kin’ichirou-kun since high school.” He politely smiled. “May I ask your name, young boy?”

“Wataru Kawase, a graduate student from Hope’s Peak Academy.” Kawase introduced himself briefly.

The word _Hope’s Peak_ managed to pique Sanou with a peculiar look of interest. “Hope’s Peak, you say? My, fascinating!” he said in awe.

To Chiejima’s chagrin, he grunts. “Not this again. What’s so good about Hope’s Peak anyway? It’s just a school for talented people only.”

“Always with the shtick, Kin’ichirou-kun. It’s always a habit of yours to berate Hope’s Peak for no such reason at all.” Sanou said.

The doctor folded his arms, “What about it, I say what I say! That school’s just bogus!” he said with full belief.

Sanou just sighed and accepted his stubbornness for today. “All right, if you say so.” Looking back at Kawase, who got involved with this minor mess. “Excuse us for the disturbance, Kawase-kun. You seem to be busy to ask Kin’ichirou-kun for something, yes?”

“Not really, it’s nothing big.” Kawase replied with an awkward tone.

“I see. I must be going then, if you’ll excuse me.” The black haired adult bid farewell to those two, leaving down by the stairs.

Chiejima unlocked both his arms and turns to Kawase. “That was a surprise, wasn’t it? He came to this hospital just to see an old friend.” Chiejima briefly explained.

“Huh.” Kawase said, “So, about Hikae…” waiting for the answer.

Chiejima points to the emergency area’s door, “Unit-05, you’ll meet them there.”

Kawase nodded and walks forward to visit them, until Chiejima suddenly asks; “Aren’t you aware that Rin-chan got a boyfriend? Such youth, I’d say!” he chuckled, but it was just a jest.

The copper haired editor wanted to hold back his laughter, but he couldn’t. “Pfft, say that to her again and she’ll beat your ass in any second.” And he left.

From afar, Chiejima nodded to himself. “Of course she would.”

 

* * *

As the door was held open, Kawase entered the room. “Hikae, you there?” he asks, he really doesn’t need to; they were already in front of his eyes. “Never mind, found you.” As he soon grabbed a folded stool and arranged it for him to sit on.

“You’re late, doofus.” Mocked Hikae, having to wait just for a single person to show up.

To his beleaguered mind, he wanted to mock her back, but he would wind up dead if he defies the assassin. “Sorry, sorry, I just got stuck in the traffic.”

Yuuki tilted his head in response to the editor’s sentences, “Were you experiencing difficulties at the street, sir?”

“Ah, no—it’s just a figure of speech.” As Kawase clears up his statement. But before that, he haven’t seen this young man before. He sat down, and began to question this mysterious passerby—or more likely, the hostage. “Who’s this guy?” he asks straight to Hikae.

“The hostage; Kagami Yuuki. The one that ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’ requested to retrieve from the lab.” Hikae answered.

Yuuki raised his hand in offer for some answers, “Excuse me, what or who is this ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’?” he says innocently.

Seeing how Hikae felt apathetic to restart everything from the beginning, guess it’s up for the senior to explain what happened; “You see, a strange account that goes by the name ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’ blackmailed a web-assassin, **Silent Killer Rei** , to do a request to get you out from the lab. Their intent was to uncover the ‘ _hope_ ’ and ‘ _truth_ ’ from Hope’s Peak Academy.” He exclaimed.

Those two weren’t expecting if the newbie would catch on to the ridiculous looking story, but they were satisfied if he were able to hear what they have to say. “Hold on a sec,” as Kawase took out his phone and snapped a picture of Yuuki, much to his surprise at least, “there, and sent.” He calmly tapped onto his phone.

“What are you doing?” Hikae asks sullenly.

“Taking proof of our success, you bimbo.” Kawase states, much to her irritation.

Leading back to their primary option, to wait for ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’ to answer their fulfilled deed. As the former editor plunges back to the Revenge Site and sent the photo of the ‘ _hope_ ’ directly to the mysterious account known as ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’.

“And there, mission accomplished. Yet.” Kawase said. “All we need to do now is to wait.”

Yuuki, despite not understanding everything just yet, wanted to ask more questions. “I really don’t understand what’s going on, but first; I have 5 questions if I may.” He said.

Hikae shrugs, “Kawase, you answer.”

“Huh, why me?!” as Kawase retaliates.

“I’m tired. You obviously didn’t move or waste your energy running and hiding.” She said.

“You ungrateful little runt, obviously I had to hack every systems and cameras to hold off your trace, and you still saying that I don’t do much?!” as he gets angrier.

A spice of aptitude rise the tension between these two, leaving a confused boy to reprimand a temporary truce, “Um, let’s put the verbal abuse aside…a hospital is a public place after all, wouldn’t it be rude to cause trouble with a patient here?” he said nonchalantly.

Left with three seconds of silence, and the tension dropped. “Fine, we won’t, we won’t!” as Kawase scratched his hair, surrendering.

A pleased Yuuki smiled after clearing the mess they almost initiate. “Thank you very much! If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you both!”

“Even me?” Hikae said, catching off guard. The hazelnut haired boy nodded. To her surprise, she really had no choice after all. “Make it fast and short.”

 

Not for a minute, a buzz coming from Kawase’s phone radiates. As the holder unlocked the screen to see a message popping from the Revenge Site, from ‘Anomaly’ themselves.

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: So, you really did accomplish the mission. Excellent, as expected from an assassin._ ’

Looking at Hikae, he gave his phone to her. “Here, take a look.” He said.

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: I see that you did bring me what I requested. I presume that mission was nothing more of a child’s play?_ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: You are still alive after all._ ’

Hikae twitched at the slightest annoyance this annoying requester has to give after their hard work infiltrating the lab. As if they were mocking them with glee.

“Give me that. You still hung on to the account, haven’t you?” as she asks, pointing over at the **SK0** account on the screen.

The copper haired male complied, “Yeah, not that I’m using it or whatever.” He said, fearing that if he did mess around with her account, heaven knows what.

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: If that’s done, I shall take my leave._ ’

‘ ** _SK0_** _: Wait. We’re not finished yet._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: I believe we are, what else do you need? Isn’t the mission over? Your identity is protected, so there is no need for us to idle any further._ ’

‘ ** _SK0_** _: What do you mean by the ‘ **truth** ’? Haven’t you said it before that you wanted to unravel the ‘ **truth** ’ of Hope’s Peak?_’

‘ ** _SK0_** _: We got the ‘ **hope** ’ you wanted to badly for, what about Hope’s Peak? Why do you need the ‘ **truth** ’?_’

‘ ** _SK0_** _: Spit it._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: Oh? My, haven’t you gotten interested in this matter. I thought you wanted nothing more than to be irrelevant to this case._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: Tell me, why is it that you want to know more?_ ’

Hikae asked herself, as to why did she spark a budding interest into this? She was supposed to do as she were told and accomplish this, she should’ve stayed away from ‘Anomaly’, but why? Maybe is it because she’s left unsatisfied with the current answer? Is that it?

‘ ** _SK0_** _: That doesn’t matter at all._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: It is a big matter. Despite how much you smeared yourself off the world, you wanted to be selfish and find the answer in one piece;_ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: For the sake of seeing Hope’s Peak crumbles into dust._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: You seek judgment, to perceive whether the strong live or the weak survive. And Hope’s Peak itself is the perfect symbolization of hope which everyone looks up to and adored._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: I’m sure by those people with wicked hearts, driven by envy and wrath, wanted to see how exactly Hope’s Peak with tumble down after their ‘ **sins** ’ were all completely exposed._’

‘ ** _SK0_** _: Sins? What are you implying?_ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: You will find out, the ‘truth’ is there, deep down at its center._ ’

 

Kawase, who has seen their entire conversation, thought out loud. “Why are they talking like that? It’s creeping the hell out of me.”

“They’re so indulged with Hope’s Peak, and its ruin…what does that mean?” Hikae said questioningly their motive. First ‘ _hope_ ’, and now ‘ _truth_ ’?

The phone buzzes again without warning.

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: I almost forgot, I hope to see how this will end._ ’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: Take good care of this ‘ **hope** ’ for now. He is the ‘ **key** ’ that will solve the mysteries hidden behind the shadows._’

‘ ** _Anomaly_** _: I look forward to see the strings of fate tangled into a formless line._ ’

And the conversation suddenly vanished.

 

* * *

Both Hikae and Kawase glanced at Yuuki, waiting for his turn to speak. “Is something the matter?” he said, as the mystery shrouding him tempts those two to actually use him as a pawn in order to expose the ‘ _truth_ ’.

How ‘ ** _Anomaly_** ’ wanted to see the fruit of the ‘ _truth_ ’, how Yuuki first ended up in the laboratory, how Hope’s Peak is all related into this…

Looks like, mundane destiny has been screwed.

 

 

Through countless missions, she never felt this challenged before. Maybe, this is her chance, to set up her turn. A new thrill besides killing people, blackmail, information exchange, dirty money, annihilation, sabotaging the lives of others, it’s all different.

 

Today, from now on, she can let it all go.

She’ll be lying to herself, to everyone, and expose what’s remaining of the ‘ _truth_ ’.

 

 

* * *

Chapter 5;  ** _end._**

 

**_ To be continued. _ **

 

 


End file.
